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EU INTERPRETATIVE STATEMENT UNDER PARAGRAPH IV.1(A)6 OF THE OSCE RULES OF PROCEDURE, OSCE (Special) Permanent Council No. 1570

30.06.2026
Vienna
Press and information team of the Delegation to UN and OSCE in Vienna

OSCE (Special) Permanent Council No. 1570 

Vienna, 29 June 2026

 

EU INTERPRETATIVE STATEMENT UNDER PARAGRAPH IV.1(A)6 OF THE OSCE RULES OF PROCEDURE 

In connection with the PC decision on the extension of the mandate of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, the European Union would like to make the following interpretative statement under the relevant provisions of the Rules of Procedure:

  1. The EU deeply deplores once again the isolated and unsubstantiated position of the Russian Federation to arbitrarily limit the extension of the mandate of the OSCE Mission to Moldova to six months instead of one year, which is the rule we collectively subscribed to and reconfirmed in 2006 at the ministerial level. The Brussels OSCE Ministerial Council (MC) decision 18/06 reaffirmed unequivocally that the mandate for field operations should be of a one-year duration when the participating State hosting the field operation concurs. We continue to believe that a six-month extension represents a very heavy administrative burden for the Mission. We do not see any reason to undermine the functioning of the Mission even more in the current challenging circumstances, when the Republic of Moldova continues to face the consequences of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. 

  2. We commend the Mission for their work in implementing the mandate. We recall our strong support for the Mission’s work in facilitating engagement and regular dialogue between the sides in the context of achieving a lasting comprehensive political settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognised borders. 

  3. Having in mind the importance of allowing the OSCE Mission to Moldova to continue its invaluable work, and taking into account the position of the host country, the EU has decided to join the consensus to extend the mandate by six months. 

  4. We call on Russia to reconsider its position in order to allow for a resumption of a one-year extension of the Mission’s mandate, as per the established rule it agreed upon at ministerial level during the MC meeting in Brussels in 2006.

We request that this interpretative statement be attached to the decision and to the journal of today’s meeting. 

Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, and Ukraine align themselves with this statement.