The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PMR sent a letter to the Moldovan side informing about the decision taken by the President of the PMR to postpone the requirement of the compulsory automobile liability insurance for car owners of the Republic of Moldova until 14 April. This decision was made today following the telephone conversations between President of PMR E.Shevchuk and Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova K.Gaburich held on March 31 and April 1.
The letter emphasizes that at the time, in 2006, the Pridnestrovian side was not informed about the introduction of the compulsory car insurance unilaterally in the Republic of Moldova. A similar decision taken by the Pridnestrovian side can hardly be considered as a responsive measure because the interval between the introduction of the compulsory automobile insurance in Moldova and Pridnestrovie is 9 years. In addition, the letter says that in September last year the Moldovan side was informed about the discriminatory attitude of Moldovan insurance companies and Moldovan judicial bodies to the issue on payment to Pridnestrovian car owners of insurance compensation upon the occurrence of insurance under the certificates of insurance legally acquired by them in the RM. The cases of refusals by the RM’s insurance companies to meet their obligations to the Pridnestrovian car owners, corroborated by the decisions of judicial bodies of the RM, are not isolated. The Pridnestrovian side has a number of complaints of car owners confirming the absence of any indemnity for Pridnestrovian car owners when the insured event occurs.
The address to RM’s political representative of the V.Osipov also stresses that the decision on the implementation in Pridnestrovie of international standards and generally accepted practices in the field of civil liability insurance of vehicle owners are not intended to limit the freedom of movement of people, but on the contrary, is intended to ensure adequate protection of the rights of car owners, including those registered in Moldova. The Pridnestrovian side over the past three months proposes on condition of reciprocity and in the spirit of finding a compromise to start discussions on the possibility of simultaneous cancellation by Pridnestrovie and Moldova the compulsory insurance of civil liability of owners of vehicles registered in the territories of the parties or the mutual recognition.
The Pridnestrovian side highlights that it does not see in the introduced mechanism ultimatums and linkages between the obligations assumed to ensure freedom of movement of people and conducting administrative and economic activity in its territory which is the exclusive competence of the authorities of Pridnestrovie and conforming with the practice of implementation of the policy in the field of compulsory insurance of civil liability in neighboring Ukraine and Moldova.
The Pridnestrovian side also reminded in its address about the need to intensify the dialogue on a wide range of issues related to freedom of movement, including the problem which remains unresolved on refusing to issue necessary permits to Pridnestrovian carriers for international freight transportation by road.
Given the telephone conversations held on 31 March and 1 April between Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova and Pridnestrovian President and mutually expressed interest in finding a compromise solution based on taking into account mutual interests and aimed at protecting the interests of car owners both of Pridnestrovie and Moldova, Pridnestrovie’s political representative N.Shtanski notified the Moldovan counterpart that the introduction of the compulsory automobile liability insurance mechanism for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova was postponed until 13 April, inclusive, according to the relevant Decree of the President of Pridnestrovie. The address to the Moldovan side noted that more than two-week period is a sufficient period of time for the work of relevant experts and for holding a meeting of the political representatives of the parties, where reached agreements could be put on record. In that context, the Pridnestrovian side proposed the dates for the meetings of relevant expert groups and political representatives in the near future.
The Pridnestrovian side separately informed the partners in the RM that in the elaboration of the agreements reached at the level of heads of the parties E.Shevchuk and K.Gaburich on March 14 this year, the Pridnestrovian side took the necessary measures to ensure a simplified procedure for border crossing during the Easter holidays, commemorative days and the Victory Day, during which the obligatory possession of an certificate of insurance for the Moldovan car owners would not be required as well. Detailed information concerning the regime of border crossing in these days will be posted on the official and information websites of the republic.
