Skopje, 15 March 2023 (MIA) – We had no information nor indication about any threats or a possible attack on the OSCE delegation, nor on the Chairperson of the Organization, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani, during his visit to Moldova, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday following reports that the OSCE delegation avoided a possible attack during their visit to Moldova.

OSCE Chairperson Osmani, said the MFA, fully trusted the security services of Moldova and the Moldovan officials which guaranteed his security and the security of the delegation during their visit.

“The visits of OSCE delegations and the chairperson require special security protocols which the host country is in charge of. The realized visits to Ukraine, Moldova, as well as the planned visits to other so-called “threatened areas” are being carried out with a clear indication that they are visits of the OSCE delegation, which in international relations are considered as visits with increased risk,” stressed the MFA.

The Ministry added that the security of OSCE representatives is a top priority and the Organization will continue to cooperate closely with the local authorities during any visit in any location.

The Ministry’s reaction comes after the Moldovan media reported that an assassination attempt on Minister Osmani was avoided during his visit to Moldova in his role as OSCE Chairperson.

Moldovan “Realitatea” reported that the alleged attack was to be carried out with a car bomb parked near the Fortress in Bender. According to the same source, the authorities in the Moldovan pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria (Pridnestrovie) accused the Ukrainian security service of masterminding the attack. They even published a video which, they said, shows the “agent” who was supposed to carry out the attack, following the OSCE delegation led by Osmani.

Ukraine categorically rejected the accusations that it was planning an attack, while the Moldovan authorities assessed that such claims need to be backed up with evidence, because the information presented are of “speculative character and do not reflect the investigations or the data of the authorities in the Republic of Moldova.” ad/nn/

Photo: MIA