Doc. 8156
3 July 1998

Complicity of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia with the illegal and secessionist regime installed in the east of the Moldovan Republic

Written Declaration No. 279

This written declaration commits only the members who have signed it

1.       The undersigned, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, note that since 1992 the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia has maintained direct, special and privileged relations with the illegal and secessionist regime installed on the part of Moldovan territory occupied by the fourteenth Russian army.

2.       On 1 September 1995, in response to the requests of the illegal Tiraspol regime and in defiance of the Moldovan legislation on religious denominations, the Russian Patriarch installed Victor Ivanovich Ovchinnikov, a citizen of the Russian Federation, as bishop for the territory controlled by the Transdnistrian separatists, conferring on him the title of Justinian of Dubasari.

3.       In May 1996, the Patriarch of Moscow, Alexis II, decorated the head communist of the Transdnistrian separatists, Igor Smirnov, with a golden Easter egg and a patriarchal diploma while in June 1996 Igor Smirnov decorated Bishop Justinian Ovchinnikov with the order of the so-called "Transdnistrian Republic".

4.       Once installed in the Transdnistrian region, Bishop Justinian became involved in political issues in conflict with the Moldovan Republic, encouraging pan-Slavist ideas and the Russian nationalist spirit and establishing links with certain pro-Russian clerical and financial circles in the Balkan region.

5.       Unfortunately, the authorities in Chisinau, who support Russian ecclesiastical organisations on Moldovan territory, have never responded adequately to this situation.

6.       The undersigned consider that the situation should be taken into consideration by the Council of Europe's Monitoring Committee when it considers the Russian Federation, whose troops are illegally occupying the eastern part of Moldova.

Signed : ¹

Lupu, Romania, EPP/CD

Cubreacov, Moldova, EPP/CD

Nedelciuc, Moldova, LDR

Robol, Italy, EPP/CD

Nastase, Romania, SOC

Rusu, Moldova, EPP/CD

________________

Total = 6

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG:European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL : Group of the Unified European Left

      NR : Not registered in a group