Today, the MFA of the PMR hosted the meeting between the Deputy Chairperson of the Government of the PMR for the International Cooperation, Foreign Minister Nina Shtanski and the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. The Russian delegation included Sergey Gubarev, the Ambassador-at-large of Russian Ministry, and Vitaliy Tryapitsyn, Deputy Director of the Second CIS Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RF.
In the course of the meeting the sides discussed the preparation for the next round of negotiations in 5+2 format, as well as, paid attention to the bilateral cooperation between Russia and Pridnestrovie. Welcoming the diplomats, Nina Shtanski highly appreciated the established practice of consultation with the Russian party preceding the next rounds of the negotiations in 5+2 format. Meanwhile, according to the Head of the Foreign Office, currently the effectiveness of the forthcoming negotiations is threatened by the last actions of the Republic of Moldova. “It is highly regrettable that on the eve of the Vienna negotiation round the collaboration with the Republic of Moldova has complicated and may endanger the holding of the round, but if it will be held, it may reduce its effectiveness and progress of our work,” she emphasized. According to Nina Shtanski, extreme unilateral steps of the Republic of Moldova in economic sphere, the arrest of Pridnestrovian journalists by the Moldovan police and their subsequent removal from the territory of the country build “not very constructive background for further communication with the Moldovan side.”
The Head of the Pridnestrovian diplomacy expressed hope that in future the sides would be able to advance existing issues, inter alia with the cooperation of the Russian Federation. “We highly appreciate the mediation efforts of the Russia. Yesterday, you communicated with Moldovan colleagues, and we look forward for support of the Russian Federation as one of the main engines of the negotiation process in 5+2 format,” she emphasized.
Sergey Gubarev, in turn, confirmed that the events in the end of 2013 and in the beginning of 2014 brought in new factors to the current situation in the negotiation process. “It is no secret that the decision by the Republic of Moldova to formalize relations with the European Union has added new aspects in finding a settlement to the conflict. We should realize and appreciate together new circumstances, as well as, minimise their potential destructive effect on this process,” he stated. Sergey Gubarev also informed that the previous day Russian diplomats discussed the forthcoming round of negotiations with Political Representative of Moldova Yevgeny Karpov. The diplomat said that the Moldovan side “has no clear view on the focus of the next round.”
Answering journalists' question on the effectiveness of the small steps tactics at the conclusion of the meeting, Sergey Gubarev noted that the issues which had been accumulating for more than 20 years, could not be resolved within a month or a year. “Separate existence de facto of Pridnestrovie and Moldova through the years led to forming their own views on life and further development. However, we will continue meticulous work to bring the parties together, inter alia within the framework of confidence building measures,” he said.
Nina Shtanski, in turn, recalled that the Pridnestrovian side proposed dozens of initiatives over two years since the resumption of the negotiations in 5+2 format. The diplomat mentioned the Protocol decision on freedom of movement which could be signed during the last round of negotiations in the event of constructive approach by the Moldovan side. “Today, there are enough projects on the table to form strong basis for progress. I believe, it requires appropriate demonstration of political will in practice. We could move forward in case of readiness to the constructive dialogue on a number of issues,” she concluded.
Commenting to the media, Nina Shtanski highlighted specific issues of the today's meeting agenda in the context of development of the cooperation between Russia and Pridnestrovie. “In Russia and in Pridnestrovie comprehensive work is in progress while preparing several inter-government agreements to be signed in the elaboration of the “Rogozin-Shevchuk Protocol.” Moreover, our today's agenda is filled with social-economic and cultural issues. 2014 will be full of historical dates such as, in particular, the 70th anniversary of the Yassy-Kishinev operation, the 90th of the establishment of MASSR and others,” said the diplomat.
