On February 2, 2016 at the initiative of the Pridnestrovian side a meeting of expert (working) groups of the sides on railway transport and communication took place in the office of the OSCE Mission in Bendery. The meeting was attended by representatives of the mediators and observers in the negotiation process.
The meeting discussed the problem situation, connected with impediments imposed by the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to the delivery of import cargo going to the economic entities of Pridnestrovie by railway from Ukraine.
We remind, in the second half of 2015 the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine unilaterally undertook measures to break the commercially and logistically justified scheme of goods importing by rail to Pridnestrovie from the Ukrainian territory existed since 2004.
The Pridnestrovian side informed the participants about the consequences of unilateral steps railway taken by Administrations of Moldova and Ukraine Railways, resulted in serious financial costs to Pridnestrovie.
According to head of the relevant expert group from Pridnestrovie Oleg Kulbikov, losses of the state unitary enterprise “Pridnestrovian Railway” can reach one million US dollars for a year, and losses of Pridnestrovian enterprises will amount to not less than three and a half million US dollars for the same period of time.
In order to minimize negative impacts and damage of enterprises of the republic the Pridnestrovian side proposed a number of prompt practical measures of technical and organizational and tariff nature.
Conceptually, Pridnestrovie’s experts have once again called for the return of the parties to the scheme existed since 2004 of shipment of import cargo to the Pridnestrovian economic agents, as the scheme imposed by Ukraine and Moldova is unprofitable, and according to the available information will not be used by economic entities of Pridnestrovie, which can lead to a partial cessation of cargo transportation.
Unfortunately, Pridnestrovie’s initiatives did not meet a positive response from the Moldovan experts, who, referring to the lack of the necessary powers, requested additional time to study the proposals.
The Pridnestrovian side’s request to return the scheme of delivery of Pridnestrovian import cargo through the Pridnestrovian railway stations “Slobodka-export” and “Kuchurgan-export” was not accepted by the Moldovan experts.
The Pridnestrovian side reiterated the inadequacy and futility of the functioning of the imposed scheme of delivery of Pridnestrovian import cargo. At the moment, the question of developing and making changes to the technology of movement of export and import cargo through the territory of Pridnestrovie of 2012 is under study to provide return legalized between the parties to an optimal scheme of cargo movement by rail.
The Pridnestrovian side proposed to hold the next meeting next week and hopes for a speedy continuation of appropriate consultations.
