The meeting of political representatives of Pridnestrovie and Moldova Nina Shtanski and Yevgeny Karpov, which was held today at the office of the OSCE Mission in Kishinev with participation of representatives of mediators and observers of the Permanent Conference, was particularly focused on issues faced by experts of relevant groups on telecommunication.
In the course of the meeting, the Pridnestrovian side notified that on November 1 the broadcasting of the Moldovan TV Channel “Publika TV” on the territory of Pridnestrovie was stopped.
Throughout this year, mutual transmission of TV Channels of Pridnestrovie and Moldova was the key issue at the meetings of expert (working) groups in the sphere of telecommunications. Let us recall: as part of the chosen “small steps” tactics the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic was the first to start transmission of Moldovan TV channels on its territory. However, the sides couldn't agree upon the corresponding decision in relation to the Pridnestrovian TV channel. The Pridnestrovian side was faced with plenty of preconditions for the TV program of the First Pridnestrovian Channel to be included in the list of programs retranslated by cable TV operators.
The Pridnestrovian side more than once drew attention of Moldovan representatives to the absence of technical impediments for enabling rebroadcasting of the TV program of the “First Pridnestrovian” on the territory of Moldova. On August 29 head of expert group on telecommunications and mail communications from Pridnestrovie Yevgeny Zubov officially proposed his Moldovan colleague Ms. Yakob “without preconditions, as a reciprocal step of the good will from the Moldovan side to start rebroadcasting of the TV program of the “First Pridnestrovian” in the network of cable TV operators of the Republic of Moldova from November 1, 2012”.
The letter, in particular, specified that “decision of the Moldovan side will influence the decision whether Pridnestrovian cable TV operator JSC “Interdnestrcom” will further broadcast or terminate the rebroadcasting of Moldovan TV programs: “Publika TV” from November 1, 2012, and “Moldova 1” from December 1, 2012”. However, proposal by Pridnestrovian experts wasn't accepted.
Following the results of today's consultations, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PMR Nina Shtanski stressed that the Pridnestrovian side considers that issue of launching the Pridnestrovian TV channel on the territory of Moldova “wasn't solved in view of lack of political will from Kishinev”. She voiced concerns that “current situation in the sphere of telecommunications is likely to become an alarming signal for other expert groups”.
It is to be recalled that “Publika TV” channel was included in the package of television programs of JSC “Interdnestrcom” at the beginning of 2012, and TV Channel “Molodva 1” – from March 31, 2012. Decision on retranslation of Moldovan TV channels was adopted by the Pridnestrovian side without setting forth preconditions and requirements for corresponding licenses. Broadcasting of the two Moldovan TV Channels during these months was provided on the whole territory of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.
