The discussion focused on the status of unrecognized states and their relations with Israel.
As part of the working visit to Israel, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PMR Vitaly Ignatiev took part in the international roundtable “Status of the unrecognized states and their relations with Israel” at the invitation of the Israeli side, which was held at Tel Aviv University. Head of the Department of Political Science, State Management and International Relations of TAU Yossi Shain, Head of Political Organization “Israel Empowerment Lobby” Eli Naht, representative of Moshe Dayan Center in TAU Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, research fellow at the Mitvim Institute for Regional Foreign Policy Dahlia Sheindlin took part in the expert forum, representative of the Office of the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Yoni Eshpar, as well as other experts and scholars.
The PMR Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Abkhazia Daur Kove gave speeches at the round table.
In his report, the Head of the PMR Foreign Ministry appealed to historical parallels and ties existing between the Pridnestrovian state and Israel, analyzed present contacts, and drew attention to a set of problems that the Pridnestrovian state is facing today.
In particular, the diplomat focused on objective historical and legal prerequisites for emergence of the statehood of Pridnestrovie, noting that the path to independence of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic differs significantly from many other newest states. The construction of its own state became “the only guarantee of physical security of the multinational people of Pridnestrovie”. Subsequently, according to the Minister, the Moldovan side’s approaches to building relations with Pridnestrovie have not fundamentally changed in general, and in this context strengthening the independence of the PMR remains a top priority for the Republic’s leadership.
“Over the recent 27 years, two different generations have grown up in Pridnestrovie and in Moldova, and the Pridnestrovian youth has seen only threats and pressure from neighboring Moldova”, Vitaly Ignatiev said, stressing that Moldova does not aspire to become a responsible partner, but on the contrary “tries to block socio-economic opportunities for the development of Pridnestrovie”.
In this context, according to the PMR Foreign Minister, the international community needs to realize the failure of attempts to recreate ‘phantoms from the past’ in the form of an artificial state within the borders of the Moldavian SSR.
“Stagnation of negotiations and the need to protect legitimate rights and interests of Pridnestrovians justify the search for non-trivial decisions regarding the future of Pridnestrovie. These decisions are suggested by the international law, which codifies the right of peoples to self-determination, and by modern precedents”, Vitaly Ignatiev said, expressing confidence that the political world map will inevitably change in the coming years.
At the end of the conference, the Foreign Minister answered questions from the audience, which confirmed the participants’ interest in the substantial study of the situation around Pridnestrovie.
Within the framework of the visit to Israel, Vitaly Ignatiev together with Abkhazian Foreign Minister Daur Kove took part in a broadcast of the state radio “Reshet Bet” and held a number of working meetings.
