OSCE chairman-in-office calls for evacuating or disposing of munitions from Russian depots in Transdniestria

CHISINAU. March 25 (Interfax) - Amid the events in Ukraine, the Russian ammunition depots in Transdniestria require special attention, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairman-in-Office and Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said.

The ammunition depots in Cobasna on the right bank of the Dniester River pose a serious danger, and the OSCE will continue working to limit the influence of this factor on security in the region, Rau said at a joint press conference with Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu in Chisinau on Friday.

The OSCE's position in this regard has not changed, and it believes the Russian troops must be withdrawn and the munitions stored in Moldova evacuated or disposed of, Rau said.

Popescu said Chisinau will seek the withdrawal of the Operational Group of Russian Forces from Moldova.

"Moldova abides by a neutrality policy. There are no motives for Moldova, a neutral country, to become a military target. At the same time, we can't predict how the situation may develop, we can't predict the future and we can't speculate," he said.

"The government of any country should be prepared for any scenario. The Moldovan government started preparing various scenarios last fall, including [preparations] for what we see now, a massive inflow of refugees and humanitarian problems," Popescu said.

Over 270,000 refugees from Ukraine have entered Moldova, he said.