The meeting between Nina Shtanski, Deputy Chairperson of the Government of the PMR on Issues of International Cooperation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Thomas Hammarberg, the UN Senior Expert on Human Rights in Pridnestrovie, was held today at the Foreign Agency of Pridnestrovie. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PMR Igor Shornikov, Head of the Department of Far Abroad Countries and International Organizations Alexander Khonitsky, the UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Moldova Nicola Harrington-Buhay and Human Rights Adviser Claude Cahn.
The meeting was focused on discussion of several elements from the report drawn up by Thomas Hammarberg following the results of human rights observance monitoring in Pridnestrovie. “We highly appreciate non-politicized approach reflected in your report. Your recommendations will be useful not only to the institutions working with us but to the people visiting Pridnestrovie. We believe that the transparency of Pridnestrovie and your vast experience and professionalism have made it possible to get a competent assessment of human rights state in Pridnestrovie,” Nina Shtanski noticed. She stressed that this report demolishes myths about Pridnestrovie which are not true but are still sustainable abroad.
Thomas Hammarberg told that the report contains definite observations and recommendations on steps to be made in further in order to fill existing gaps. “I give no marks. The current situation is not foremost important for me, but I'm interested in the level of people's transparency, their admission of problems and self-criticism of officials because they give opportunity to improve situation,” said the expert. He took a favourable view of the openness of the Pridnestrovian leadership, as well as the opportunity to visit freely any place of interest for the expert. “I have visited lots of institutions and many people but I have noticed no attempt to disguise current situation. It is very important,” Thomas Hammarberg concluded. According to him, critical comments in the report “are represented in order to render assistance while searching settlement for pressing issues.”
I went to see a huge number of people and institutions and never saw attempts to conceal the existing situation. That is very important, "- concluded Thomas Hammarberg. According to him, the criticisms contained in the report, "formulated only to assist in finding solutions to existing problems."
Responding to the journalists, Nina Shtanski expressed opinion that Pridnestrovian government has no intention to cover up actual issues around human rights. “We work to improve the life in our Republic,” concluded the Minister.
For reference: Thomas Hammarberg is a Swedish diplomat and human rights activist. He was appointed to the position of the UN Senior Expert on Human Rights in Pridnestrovie in 2012. during last year he visited Pridnestrovie for four times with the purpose of human rights observance monitoring in Pridnestrovie. The expert visiteddetention facilities, places of confinement and place for children deprived of parental care. According to the results of the work the expert highly appreciatedthe willingness of the Republic's government to cooperate in protection of human rights. He concluded that, “There is no country where human rights are observed in full. I assured myself that Pridnestrovie has a standard European society with issues peculiar for all other countries. Obstacles in Pridnestrovie are referred to unrecognized status but that is more like political matter than the issue of human rights,” Thomas Hammarberg noticed.
