It is the way that the diplomat described the problem of joint customs and border control of Moldova and Ukraine on the Pridnestrovian-Ukrainian border
Today Acting Foreign Minister of the PMR Vitaly Ignatiev was a guest of the morning programme on “Radio 1”. Chairman of the State Customs Committee of the PMR Yury Gervazyuk also became an interlocutor of the radiohosts.
The main subject of the discussion was Moldova and Ukraine’s plans on the organization of joint customs and border control at the checkpoint “Kuchurgan” on the Pridnestrovian-Ukrainian border.
Vitaly Ignatiev said that the initiative of the RM and Ukraine is in full compliance with the general strategy of strangulation against Pridnestrovie. According to him, in this particular case we are talking about the attempts to totally restrict the export-import operation of Pridnestrovie.
“This absolutely unacceptable unilateral step is beyond the scope of the negotiation process and creates a whole range of economic and political problems, restrictions on freedom of movement and personal security of people,” - the diplomat noted. He also said that the Pridnestrovian side had sent a number of appeals to the participants of the “5+2” format in order to prevent the decision from implementing in practice, as it can strike primarily at the negotiation process and the forthcoming German OSCE Chairmanship. The position of the initiators themselves on this step, said Vitaly Ignatiev, remains unconstructive, since Ukrainian and Moldovan colleagues refuse “not only to rationally respond to this situation, but also to give any reasonable explanation”.
The head of the Foreign Ministry emphasized that recently Pridnestrovie as a result of a complex dialogue with the EU managed to agree on the optimal regime of access for Pridnestrovian exports to European markets. However, the unilateral actions of Moldova and Ukraine could have a negative impact on the stability of the trade format agreed with Europe.
“On the one hand, we have agreed on trade with the EU, it was extremely difficult, on the other hand, Moldovan and Ukrainian partners deal “a blow in the back”, which can be also viewed as a blow to these agreements,” – the Acting Foreign Ministry said.
The work to resolve the situation, according to Vitaly Ignatiev, is complicated by the Moldovan side’s unwillingness to engage in dialogue at various levels of the negotiation process, including subject expert groups, where the existing problematic issues in relations between the parties are supposed to be discussed in detail.
“We see that criminal cases against Pridnestrovians are initiated in Moldova, new economic measures of pressure are applied against the republic and at the same time the negotiations are slowed by the Moldovan side. A situation where the negotiation process “stays away” gives Moldovan partners a free hand, creates the illusion of impunity and allows to apply the measures that we are discussing today,”- said the head of the Foreign Ministry of the PMR.
“In fact, they try half a million people of Pridnestrovie to drive to the reservation, hitting on economy and business, initiating criminal cases against Pridnestrovians, blocking freedom of movement of citizens of the republic. We can judge that there is a hybrid war in its entirety against Pridnestrovie,”- noted Vitaly Ignatiev.
