Today, Foreign Ministry of the PMR hosted a meeting between Deputy Chairperson of the Government of the PMR for International Cooperation, Foreign Minister Nina Shtanski and the OSCE delegation headed by Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-In-Office, Ambassador Radojko Bogojević. Taking part in the meeting were Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Jan Plešinger, Assistant of Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-In-Office Jovica Cekic, Political Adviser, Task Force OSCE Chairmanship Armin Rieser, representative of the OSCE Center for Conflict Prevention Stijn Schrooten. Other participant in the meeting from the PMR's MFA was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PMR Vitaly Ignatiev.
Welcoming the meeting participants Nina Shtanski pointed at the topicality of holding a meeting between the parties with Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-In-Office in the period between the meetings of the Permanent Conference on Political Issues in the Framework of the Negotiating Process for Pridnestrovian Settlement, particularly when a systematic dialogue between the representatives on political issues cannot be maintained. She noted the complexity of the context of the current meeting in view of the unfavourable situation in the sphere of free movement and economic interaction.
The minister drew attention of Radojko Bogojević to the fact that despite the efforts made by him and by the other 5+2 format participants, the Moldovan side had not yet fulfilled its commitment to cancel discriminatory excise duties in relation to the goods imported by Pridnestrovian business entities. We recall that the protocol statement signed on February, 19 a.c. by the results of the meeting between the political representatives provides for cancellation of excise duties in relation to the goods imported by Pridnestrovian business entities within a month. However, the Moldovan side has not completed corresponding actions until today. It has become clear during the meeting that the initiative to cancel discriminatory excise duties in relation to the goods imported by Pridnestrovian business entities and environmental tax and other payments for customs registration is being considered by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova currently.
Nina Shtanski expressed concern about the fact that there were continuing violations of Pridnestrovian people's rights to free movement both by Moldova and Ukraine. “Freedom of movement is one of the priorities identified by all “5+2 format” participants on which we have been working for more than two years. This is me, in particularly, who says this with disappointment, because in Vienna, most recently, we have signed an important Protocol on several aspects of free movement with your direct participation, and today, this Protocol is violated by the Moldovan side,”- noted the head of PMR's MFA.
She also expressed concern about several statements by some negotiators which do not enhance negotiation process, but, perhaps, have an aim to reshape it. “Ukraine's Ambassador to Moldova who is also a political representative of Ukraine in negotiations, on a Moldovan TV channel talks about the failure of the Russian Federation's role as a mediator. Mr. Leanca,Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, goes further, he talks about a factual ineligibility of two participants in negotiations: the guarantors – Russia and Ukraine. I very much count that you as a Special Representative of the Swiss-Serbian Chairmanships of the OSCE will find appropriate instruments and words to remind all participants in negotiations that we follow, first of all, the documents of the negotiation process in our activities,”-said Nina Shtanski. She recalled that according to this document those participants who sit at the negotiating table are equal partners who have an obligation to respect each other. “I have to admit that, as for me, it is difficult enough to talk about our future meetings. It is difficult to talk about a dialogue between equal partners when one of them blatantly gets the arms twisted, when a language of blackmail is used to speak to him. The situation dictates me that further consultations will be required to maintain the dynamics of the negotiations,”- noted the head of the PMR's MFA.
Nina Shatnski once again proposed Radojko Bogojević to visit the Pridnestrovian border territory between the Ukraine and the PMR in order to form his own opinions on the situation at the Pridnestrovian – Ukrainian border and avoid biased allegations against Pridnestrovie by several officials of Ukraine. Addressing the Special Representative of the Swiss OSCE Chairman-In-Office, the Minister stated: “Objectivity is one of the principles of OSCE. I'd like to emphasize that not only you as a high representative have such opportunity to visit any border areas, but any other our international partners.”
Radojko Bogojević, in turn, informed about the outcome of the meeting held yesterday with the representative on political issues from the Republic of Moldova Yevgeny Karpov. The Special Representative of the Swiss OSCE Chairman-In-Office expressed optimism about the prospects of a settlement of several aspects of the current dialogue between the sides.
Nina Shtanski said during the briefing that the Pridnestrovian side does not exclude the opportunity to postpone the next round of the Permanent Conference scheduled on 10 and 11 April a.c. in view of grave violation of the guidelines of the Principles and the negotiating procedure by some participants in negotiations. “I'd like to emphasize that the Pridnestrovian side will do its utmost to held necessary consultations with all interested parties in order to maintain the dynamic of the negotiation process. But no one will speak to us the language of blackmail, blockade, and sanctions, and our partners should know it,”- stated the head of the PMR's MFA.
Radojko Bogojević, in turn, noted that he would seek to understand the concerns of each side in order to make constructive contributions to remove obstacles that restrict the parties in moving forward. “I hope that we will be able to remove the obstacles by our common efforts and move forward, and to hold the next round of negotiations in Vienna,” – concluded the ambassador.
