The situation of ethnic minorities in Moldova continues to be linked to the seemingly intractable independence struggle between the Moldovan government and the leadership of the breakaway region of Transdniestria where up to 40 per cent of the population is ethnic Moldovan. Negotiations were stalled in 2003 because of a Russian proposal to federalize Moldova and give Transdniestria wide self-government powers. In 2004, the Moldovan government attempted in vain to continue negotiations on a weaker federal model proposed by the OSCE. The Transdniestrian leadership, however, remained committed to the Russian proposal. In 2005 the new Ukrainian president, Viktor Yushchenko, proposed a conflict settlement which appears to be more palatable to both sides.

Although it has been debated whether the conflict in Moldova is ethnic or political in nature, the closing in 2004 by the Transdniestrian authorities of several Moldovan schools on the pretence that they were not properly registered indicates that is most probably a mixture of both. The closing of the schools, which were teaching in the Moldovan language, was deplored by the HCNM, who likened the action to 'linguistic cleansing'. In June 2005 the authorities retracted and allowed the schools to be permanently registered. As to the situation of the Roma, there seems to be little action on the part of the Moldovan government, a point lamented by the Advisory Committee to the FCNM.

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