Louis O'Neill

Ribnitsa authorities must return confiscated school building, says OSCE Mission Head, Ambassador Louis O'Neill

CHISINAU, 24 November 2006 - The Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Ambassador Louis O'Neill, has urged local authorities in the Transdniestrian city of Ribnitsa to return a confiscated building to the Moldovan Latin-script school located in the city.

"This building was constructed for the pupils of the Moldovan Lyceum Evrica. It belongs to them and should be returned to the school without further delay," said Ambassador O'Neill during a visit to the school today.

The visit to Ribnitsa was part of Ambassador O'Neill's fact-finding trip to learn about the situation of the six education institutions in the region that teach Moldovan/Romanian in the Latin script, in accordance with the curriculum of the Moldovan Education Ministry.

The Head of the OSCE Mission met the director of the Evrica lyceum at the school's temporary premises, located in a kindergarten at the local steel factory. Ambassador O'Neill expressed gratitude to the management of the factory for its willingness to provide this assistance.

He also visited the original school building which was stormed by Transdniestrian militia and then confiscated during the height of a school crisis in summer 2004. The lyceum was built by the Government in Chisinau and was nearly finished when the Transdniestrian militia took it by force.

"The building has not been in use for more than two years now and has begun to deteriorate. This is unacceptable," said Ambassador O'Neill.

Local authorities in Ribnitsa had signaled in March their readiness to compromise on this issue, but have thus far failed to follow through.

Press Releases

CHISINAU, 24 November 2006

Ribnitsa authorities must return confiscated school building, says OSCE Mission Head, Ambassador Louis O'Neill.

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