MOLDOVA


STATEMENT
BY
H.E. Mr. VLADIMIR VORONIN
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
AT THE 58-TH SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
23 September 2003
New York

Mr. President,

Mr. Secretary General,
Dear delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me first of all to congratulate Honourable Mr. Julian Hunte on the occasion of his election to the high position as President of the 58th Session of the UN General Assembly - the most representative and prestigious organisation in the world. I am convinced this is a recognition of both the achievements of the country he represents and his personal merits.

Please allow me also to express my gratitude to Mr. Jan Kavan for the activity of a great responsibility he fulfilled as President of the previous session.

I cannot avoid mentioning also the remarkable role played by the UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, in increasing the authority and efficiency of the United Nations, particularly in the context of those dramatic events the international community was facing with during the last years. For the entire world, UN was and remains an organisation serving the noble ideals of peace, equity and economic prosperity of the peoples on our planet.

Mister President,

International community undertook enormous efforts to provide that such phenomena alien to the spirit and aspirations of the contemporary world as poverty, oppression, terrorism, danger of an ecological disaster are perceived as motives for general concern that led, in its turn, to mobilisation of all nations' forces. We notice how international community goes further than adopting emotive humanitarian declarations to establishing institutions and organisations which do not only most actively analyses this or that problem, but also corrects the economic, social and political developments wherever they take place. Global threats are given a global rebuff, the chaos of destruction is stronger and stronger opposed by integrated ethics and new technology of structuring the international relations based on supranational values of human civilisation, on universality of the principles of democracy, civil freedoms and the life itself. After the epochal Millennium summit and the summits held in Rome, Monterrey, Doha and Johannesburg, there started to foreshadow a new system of global priorities oriented towards preventing and neutralising possible threats. Obviously, this system leaves less and less place for resolving the
for making use of international mechanisms in this respect. The system concerned, which gains increasing space in modern politics, determines the new context of the relationship between states and international institutions, excludes the attitude of trivial profiteer assumed by national elites towards the international assistance and requires a responsible and decisive approach to the issue on reforming our own economies and establishing modern social-political standards.

Undoubtedly, currently we are entering a century of integration, an epoch where traditional interstate barriers fall down. Yet, this epoch is namely such one where local interests of some countries may lead to a benefit for the whole community. Therefore it is very important to be aware that current stage of globalisation will not disappoint us only in one case: when on the way of integration - integration of values and standards - the initiative of first step will always pertain to the national states themselves. This is a task in principle new for all of us - heads of states and politicians.

Mister President,

It is not by accident that I began my speech with these considerations. I did this, first of all, because only such an approach is able to provide in a considerable measure that the state I represent becomes also a successful one.

12 years ago Moldova stepped on the path of independent development. Chronic Transnistrian problem, de industrialisation and economic recession, poverty, nationalism and separatism served for a decade as a visit card of our country.

The "first step" policy is being fulfilled in Moldova in two political directions of utmost importance.

In the first place, it is in the problem of Transnistrian settlement. We realized the fundamental character of those motives which laid in the basis of the conflict ten years ago and we proposed, as the main way of resolving the contradictions, to draft and adopt by joint efforts a new Constitution of the state. In the draft which currently is being worked out, we insist on giving up the status of unitary state, which does not take into account the profound peculiarities of the Transnistrian region, and we lay at the basis of the new state draft the principles of federative organisation of our country, which take into
consideration the long term interests of all the regions of Moldova. Eliminating the effects of nationalistic hysteria characteristic to the early '90s, which divided both the society and the country, Moldova has declared itself determined to build up a harmonious multiethnic society, based on principles of ethnic and linguistic liberalism and pluralism. I think that namely this policy corresponds to the integrationist trends which replace the isolationism and secessionism. "Unity in diversity" - this is the principle of our nowadays policy and this is the motto of Moldovan Chairmanship in the Council of Europe. We are firmly persuaded that only the way of these transformations will be able to serve as the right basis for resolving both the domestic problems of Moldovan state and the problems concerning the regional security.

In the second place, Republic of Moldova has proclaimed the path of European integration as priority national strategy of the state. We are well aware how difficult and responsible is that path, but, at the same time, we firmly state that it represents first and foremost an internal political and economic option of Moldova. We know that this option needs effective and comprehensive consolidation of the institutions of market economy and further promotion of democratic reforms, development of civil society and social sphere. Yet, however difficult the task might be which we have to accomplish, we hope that, in time, our decision will lead to establishment of a national consensus.

Mister President,

Peace and security on our planet may constitute the surety for adopting by all states a joint stand towards the acknowledgement of modem social, economic, political and legal standards. It is more than sure that there is no other way. Nowadays, the humankind is more vulnerable as never before to the crises and disasters of any scope and degree. That is why present civilisation does not have and should not have local problems, does not have and should not have dark corners where, like in an orangery, there may bloom the terrorism, repression and defiant disdain to the opinion of international community.

In development of such a stand the most important role rests with the UN Security Council. In this context I express my support to the idea to grant the Security Council a more representative character. Republic of Moldova stands for a reasonable increase of the number of permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council that would assure to a higher degree the principle of equal geographic representation and would reflect the interests of all regional groups. Being fully aware of the difficulty to reach a consensus on this issue, I call upon all the UN members to undertake maximum efforts in order to adopt a definitive decision in this respect. Republic of Moldova also supports the idea of recovering the role of the General Assembly as the most important representative and deliberative UN body. Concomitantly, I think it is necessary to further consolidate the capacity of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) as coordinator of the UN funds and programmes.

I am sure that further development of UN institutions and structures will be the best proof of viability of UN principles, 9f its growing prestige and its ruling role in the world. I express my hope that namely the United Nations will know how to place itself at the vanguard of current positive developments.

I am firmly convinced that the proceeding of the 58th session of the UN General Assembly will, be held in the spirit of sincere cooperation and solidarity, so that the delegations of all the states will undertake sustained efforts on behalf of noble purposes, on behalf of peace, stability and prosperity.

Thank you for attention.