Today, a group of young leaders from Europe and the USA visited T.G. Shevchenko Pridnestrovian State University in the framework of the International Conference on Peace Promotion in Europe organized by the Youth Ambassadors Institute. Taking part in the meeting with the guests of the Republic was Deputy Chairperson of the Government of the PMR for International Cooperation, Foreign Minister Nina Shtanski.
The Head of the Foreign Ministry focused on some negative myths about Pridnestrovie created by a number of western media, and she also told young ambassadors about the actual situation in the contemporary Pridnestrovie.
Nina Shtanski noted that there is a widespread delusion in press and political circles of Europe that discrimination on ethnic and language grounds takes place in Pridnestrovie and as a result, Romanian language teaching is prohibited that in reality is not true. The Diplomat also criticized the claims about smuggling through the border of Pridnestrovie, pointed out that the neighbouring countries – Moldova and Ukraine – are the only countries the republic shared the borders and therefore, there are no reasons to doubt the competence of the customs and border services of these countries. In this regard, Nina Shtanski also noted that during almost 10 years the EUBAM mission has been working at Ukraine's border, repeatedly confirming the absence of smuggling from the territory of Pridnestrovie.
One of the topics discussed with the youth ambassadors was the economic blockade of Pridnestrovie. The Head of the Pridnestrovian diplomacy gave example of another myth about the republic – the claim that the blockade of Pridnestrovie does not exist.
“The following question is frequently heard: “Why does Pridnestrovie always talk about the blockade, but in Pridnestrovian stores you can buy Italian tomatoes, Turkish apples and Polish canned food?” – She said. The answer is simple: Pridnestrovian apples and tomatoes should be sold in our stores and we would like that these products would be sold in your countries. However, we are in the economic conditions when our import significantly exceeds the export. Our economy does not develop, but survives, and the fact that we are still alive, does not mean that we do not overcome restrictions. And if it happened, we would not be able to buy products in the shops, we would not talk about the economic blockade - we would talk about the humanitarian catastrophe,” – stressed the Minister.
Answering the question how Pridnestrovie sees the settlement of the Moldo-Pridnestrovian conflict, Nina Shtanski noted that Pridnestrovie's aim is building good-neighbourly relations between Moldova and the PMR as two independent states. At the same time, according to her, Pridnestrovie has the de- facto independence and makes it little different from other sovereign countries.
“Pridnestrovie has numerous good differences from other countries: our multinationality, multiculturalism, tolerance, the absence of the ethnic and religious conflicts, terrorist organizations. We are proud of it. Our independence is not recognized by other countries, but it is recognized by half a million people, by those people who live here, study in Pridnestrovian schools, whose parents get salary in Pridnestrovian enterprises in Pridnestrovian roubles, get social benefits and pensions here, in Pridnestrovie. This independence is undisputed for those who were born in Pridnestrovie and have never lived in Moldova. These people grew up here, served in the army, got their passports here, and raise their children here. The question on independence is not an issue for them– they know that they live in the established state where there is law defending them from the lawlessness, where there are social guarantees. This is a place where they want to live and with which they connect their future. For that reason, there is no need for Pridnestrovie to prove its right to the independence,” – emphasized the Diplomat.
Concluding the meeting Nina Shtanski handed the publications of the MFA of the PMR “Actual issues of the Pridnestrovian foreign policy” to those who were more actively engaged in the discussions. During the visit the members of the delegation of the youth ambassadors also met with Vice-Rector for Science and Scientific Relations of T.G. Shevchenko Pridnestrovian State University Elena Bobkova and visited a number of cultural centers of the University.
