Russian diplomats, who had been expelled from Moldova, excluded from JCC
CHISINAU. June 9 (Interfax) - The Russian diplomats, who had been declared personae non gratae and left Moldova last week, were excluded from the Joint Control Commission (JCC) for the situation in the security zone on borders of the Dniester River, the Reintegration Bureau of the Moldovan government told Interfax.
The JCC members decided to exclude Russian military attache Col. Igor Dovbnya, his deputy Lt. Col. Alexander Grudin and Maj. Dmitry Raevsky from the commission, the bureau said. "The completion of the assignment period" was listed as the reason for the exclusion.
Three diplomats were on the list of five employees of the Russian Embassy who were forced to leave Moldova last week, on June 1. It was reported on June 1 that all Russian diplomats, who were declared personae non gratae, had been linked to the work on the Transdniestrian settlement, including the participation in the JCC. In particular, Russian military attached Dovbnya and his deputy Grudin were mentioned among the diplomats expelled from Moldova.
Pyotr Urzhumov, the senior councilor of the Russian Embassy in Moldova, was included to the JCC at the suggestion of the Russian delegation to the commission. After new military attache and his deputy arrive in Chisinau, they will probably be included in the commission.
"After new Russian representatives are included in the JCC, the group examining the control posts deployed in the security zone will resume," the bureau said.
The JCC was established in accordance with the Moldovan-Russian agreement of July 21, 1992. The commission controls the situation in the security zone on the Dniester River, coordinates activities of the peacekeeping troops, and considers other operational issues for the purpose of maintaining stability on borders of the Dniester. The JCC holds weekly meetings, during which decisions are adopted by consensus.
It was reported last week that five diplomats of the Russian Embassy in Moldova were declared personae non gratae. Following it, the Russian Foreign Ministry adopted a decision on a proportionate response, expelling five Moldovan diplomats from Russia.
