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3/7/2003: NEW
ARTICLE ADDED TO MOLDOVAN CRIMINAL CODE
Amendments to the Moldovan criminal code, adopted by the parliament of
Moldova on 7 March 2003, include a new article that calls for criminal
prosecution of individuals engaged in the production, storage, transport, and use of weapons of mass destruction,
including nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. Punishment
for violation of this article is set at 7-15 years of imprisonment and increases to 15-25 years if
the crime is
repeated, is committed deliberately by a group of people, or resulted in
particularly severe consequences. According to members of Moldovan parliament, the new article is
designed to promote fulfillment the country's obligations under the
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).[1,2]
1/17/2003:
MOLDOVA CONSIDERS SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL TRANSIT THROUGH ITS
TERRITORY
A joint Bulgarian-Moldovan declaration, signed during a visit by the Bulgarian President to Moldova on 16-17 January 2003, committed Moldova to
promote ratification of the quadripartite agreement on cooperation in
the field of nuclear material transportation, which provides a legal
framework for the
transportation of spent nuclear fuel from Bulgaria (Kozloduy NPP) to Russia
through the territories of Moldova and Ukraine.[1,2] Despite opposition from
some environmentalists, the Moldovan government says that transit of nuclear materials has
been going on for three decades and is not
a threat to Moldova's environment.[1] According to Virdzhiliyu Andreyev, press-secretary
of the Moldovan President, ratification of the above agreement will be
considered after IAEA experts give their evaluation of
the safety of nuclear fuel transit through Moldovan territory.[3]
1/15/2003: MOLDOVA DEVELOPS
NEW AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEM
According to Vladimir Molozhen,
General Director of Moldova's Department of Information Technology, Moldova has launched
the Frontiera automated information system as a pilot project at the Kishinev
International Airport. In the future the system will be installed throughout
the Republic of Moldova. The Frontiera system is designed
to collect, update, and analyze data about people, vehicles, and cargo on
Moldovan territory, which will help combat the illegal trafficking of goods and forgery of documents. The system will
also facilitate the restriction of illegal migration, as well as the detection
of fugitives, stolen vehicles, drugs and psychotropic substances, poisonous
and radioactive materials, and weapons. 9/5/2002: US IMPOSES
SANCTIONS ON TWO MOLDOVAN ENTITIES
On 9 May 2002, the United States imposed sanctions on Moldova's Cuanta
company and its former head Mikhail Pavlovich Vladov,
for transferring to Iran WMD
and missile technology covered by international export controls.[1,2] The
sanctions prohibit US government procurement from and assistance to the
entities as well as purchase by the entities of any item on the US Munitions
List or receipt of a license for items controlled under US export
regulations and the Export Administration Act of 1979.[1] Before it was
liquidated in 2001 and turned into a state-run business, Cuanta produced radio
control and tracing systems for ballistic missiles.[2]
Page last updated 6 August 2003 Comments or questions? Contact Kenley Butler at
MIIS CNS: Kenley.Butler@miis.edu |
