[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 137 (Tuesday, September 27, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  STATEMENT ON RESOLUTION CALLING FOR REMOVAL OF RUSSIAN TROOPS FROM 
                                MOLDOVA

  Mr. DeCONCINI. Madam President, on August 10, 1994, negotiators for 
the Governments of Moldova and Russia reached a tentative agreement on 
withdrawal of Russia's 14th Army, about 8,000-10,000 strong, from 
Moldova over a period of 3 years.
  This is a significant step, since Moldova is the only remaining 
former Soviet Republic upon which Russian troops are still stationed 
without permission of the host government. Moreover, the 14th Army has 
a violent history in Moldova. It is stationed in Moldova's breakaway 
Transdniestria region, where many 14th Army soldiers helped provide 
firepower for the secessionist forces during the bloody civil conflict 
of 1992.
  Unfortunately, there are reports that Moscow may be rethinking the 
withdrawal agreement. The commander of the 14th Army has publicly 
rejected the agreement, telling Der Spiegel that it was ``idiotic.'' 
General Grachev, the Defense Minister, and theoretically General 
Lebed's boss, met with Lebed in Moscow, and emerged from the meeting 
suitably chastened. Apparently he now thinks that the agreement needs 
further drafting after he had signed on to it.

  Meanwhile, a diplomatic mission of the Conference on Security and 
Cooperation in Europe posted in Moldova has called for the accelerated 
withdrawal of the 14th Army. The call was reiterated last July by the 
CSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Vienna. Ironically, while the Russian 
military seems committed to scuttling a political settlement that 
follows the directions of CSCE policy, Mr. Kozyrev's Foreign Ministry 
is seeking a greater role for CSCE, including coordination of the 
activities of several all-European political and military 
organizations, including NATO.
  I would note that, as was the case with Russian military forces in 
the Baltics, the Clinton administration has been forthright in calling 
for the renewal of the 14th Army from Moldova. During a recent visit to 
Moldova, Ambassador Albright characterized the withdrawal of the 14th 
Army as ``a matter of primary importance to United States foreign 
policy.'' This statement, incidentally, elicited an outburst from 
General Lebed that Russia shouldn't let ``some woman'' make decisions 
for Russia.
  Madam President, the senior Senator from Nebraska [Mr. Grassley] and 
I have introduced a concurrent resolution urging the Russian government 
to live up to the agreement to pull its forces out of Moldova. The 
resolution also urges the administration to use every appropriate 
opportunity to secure removal of Russian military forces from Moldova.
  Mr. Yeltsin is here in our Capital City today. He has met with 
President Clinton. I am very optimistic that the President will 
reiterate to Mr. Yeltsin and Mr. Yeltsin will respond as he has in the 
past in public that it is the policy of the Russian Republic that the 
troops should get out.
  This is important. This is the last bastion of Soviet authority in 
someone else's homeland, and it is only proper that Mr. Yeltsin, with 
his leadership that he has demonstrated, will withdraw those troops in 
accordance with the agreements and urging of this country that he is 
prepared to do so, and I compliment him.
  If Mr. Yeltsin is sincere about Russia's role as a peaceful 
peacekeeper, and if Russia is genuinely committed to living up to 
international law and CSCE committments, Moscow should be preparing to 
bring its 14th Army back to Russia. I urge the Russian Government to 
adhere to the provisions of the August 10 withdrawal agreement, and I 
urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this resolution.
  I ask unanimous consent that the current resolution sponsored by 
myself and Senator Grassley be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the resolution was ordered to be printed in 
the Reocrd as follows:

                             S. Con Res. --

       Whereas military forces of the Russian Federation continue 
     to be deployed on the territory of the sovereign and 
     independent nation of Moldova against the wishes of the 
     people and government of Moldova;
       Whereas the continued stationing of military forces by the 
     Russian Federation in Moldova without permission of the 
     government of Moldova is contrary to international law;
       Whereas the Parliamentary Assembly of the Conference on 
     Security and Cooperation in Europe passed a resolution on 
     July 6, 1994, calling for a ``most rapid, continuing, 
     unconditional, and full withdrawal'' of the 14th Army of the 
     Russian Federation from Moldova, and the diplomatic mission 
     in Moldova of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in 
     Europe has called for the accelerated withdrawal of the 14th 
     Army;
       Whereas on August 10, 1994, negotiators of the governments 
     of Moldova and the Russia Federation initialed an agreement 
     according to which the Russian Federation will withdraw its 
     military forces from Moldova in 3 years; and
       Whereas the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation 
     has called for changes in such withdrawal agreement and the 
     Commander of the 14 Army of the Russian Federation has 
     publicly rejected the terms of the agreement: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) calls upon the government of the Russian Federation to 
     adhere to the provisions of the agreement initialed on August 
     10, 1994, to provide for the withdrawal of the military 
     forces of the Russian Federation from Moldova; and
       (2) urges the Administration to continue to use every 
     appropriate opportunity, including multilateral and bilateral 
     diplomacy, to secure removal of the military forces of the 
     Russian Federation from Moldova.

                          ____________________