The Foreign Ministry hosted a meeting of the PMR Minister of Foreign Affairs Vitaly Ignatiev with the delegation of the researchers of the Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu, as well as a group of Romanian journalists, which included representatives of the Digi 24 and TVR Moldova, Romania Libera newspaper, Radio Chisinau and others. The journalists focused on the problems of the negotiation process between Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova.
Vitaly Ignatiev spoke in detail about the current situation in the dialogue between Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova, focusing on the whole set of unresolved problems in the mutual relations of the parties, including in the fields of economy, education, population and cars freedom of movement, politically motivated criminal prosecution of Pridnestrovian citizens. According to the diplomat, for today there are no objective obstacles to the settlement of these problematic issues.
“There are compromised draft agreements on the negotiating table worked out by the Pridnestrovian side, taking into account the recommendations of European experts, including recommendations on road transport, diploma apostille, politically motivated criminal cases. We have no lack of readiness for work, there is a lack of political will on the part of the Republic of Moldova to conduct a constructive dialogue with Pridnestrovie, which is expressed in the politicization of any, even humanitarian issues” – the Foreign Minister noted.
During the conversation, Vitaly Ignatiev especially emphasized the intentions of Moldova and Ukraine, to establish joint customs and border control on the Pridnestrovian-Ukrainian border unilaterally, without taking into account the position and interests of Pridnestrovie. The Pridnestrovian Foreign Minister noted extremely destructive nature of these plans, which threaten huge losses for the PMR in terms of trade, individual entrepreneurship, population and cars freedom of movement and the economy of the Republic as a whole. According to the diplomat, the introduction of joint control can also provoke a serious deterioration of the security situation as in this case security structures of Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova will be located in close proximity to each other, outside the limits regulated by the existing arrangements of the Security Zone.
“All the reasoning we hear in favor of establishing joint control cannot stand up to any criticism. There is only one objective, of a political nature exclusively, that is the Moldova’s desire to establish physical control on the borders of Pridnestrovie both from the west and the east. This is a very serious challenge, because no one will benefit from this destructive measure. Everyone will lose, and first of all ordinary people. Therefore, Pridnestrovie insists on the inadmissibility of implementing joint control” – Vitaly Ignatiev summed up.
