Osmochescu: Neutrality was included in the Constitution so that Moldova would not ally with Russia in conflicts

Law professor Nicolae Osmochescu explained that Moldova’s Constitution enshrined neutrality to prevent the country from joining the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) defense bloc and from becoming an ally of the Russian Federation in future conflicts. According to him, authorities in Chisinau initially appealed to Russian legal principles to pressure the Kremlin to withdraw its troops from Transnistria.

Speaking on RLIVE TV, Osmochescu said that after 1992, the Moldovan delegation consistently urged Transnistrian leader Igor Smirnov to facilitate the withdrawal of the 14th Russian Army from Moldovan territory. He noted that the concept of Moldova’s neutrality originally came from Russia itself, yet Russia has failed to honor it.

“At that time, there was no talk of peacekeeping forces. We acted on the good-faith assumption. Russian constitutional documents include the ten principles of international law, including the non-interference in the internal affairs of other states. Neutrality became a protective shield for us, keeping us out of military alliances—particularly the CIS Collective Security Treaty,” Osmochescu said.

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He emphasized that the presence of the 14th Army contradicts the core principle of permanent neutrality, which prohibits the deployment of foreign troops on a nation’s territory. “We believed that if Russia respected these principles, it would withdraw its forces,” he added.

Osmochescu also noted that five international agreements set specific deadlines for the withdrawal of Russian troops. However, more than 31 years after Moldova adopted its Constitution, the Kremlin has yet to comply.

Moldova began drafting its Constitution in 1990, but the Parliament approved the final version only in 1994. The document reflects principles of democracy, transparency, and pluralism. The authors consulted historical legal sources: Vasile Lupu’s Pravile, Gheorghe Asachi’s writings on constitutional monarchy, and Dumitru Sturza’s 1822 proposal for a republic.

The Constitution rests on six core principles:

1. The state must be constitutional, neither socialist nor capitalist.
2. Sovereignty belongs to the people through representative democracy.
3. Political pluralism is essential to democratic governance.
4. The legislative, executive, and judicial branches must remain separate and distinct.
5. The state must protect both private and public property.
6. Human rights are a supreme value and must be fully respected.