In connection with recent announcements in mass media about alleged hindrance to educational process in Latin-script Moldovan schools functioning in Pridnestrovie, foreign office of the PMR considers it necessary to draw attention of international partners and all parties concerned to the following principal aspects of this problem.
Pridnestrovian side has repeatedly proposed the Moldovan side to carry out joint monitoring of Latin-script Moldovan schools operating in Pridnestrovie. October 1, 2013 witnessed mutual consent on this issue reached during the regular meeting of expert (working) groups on education. However, the Republic of Moldova has been evading practical implementation of the above commitments so far for unclear reasons.
Along with this, Pridnestrovian side has more than once stated the need look for a compromise decisions for all sensitive issues connected with functioning of these schools, inter alia recommendations of international partners. For its part, Pridnestrovian side once again reaffirms its readiness for consistent practical work based on the recommendations set out in the report of the OSCE. It should be also noted that the sides made several study visits – to Germany, Denmark and Finland k – to get familiarized with international experience. Besides, Pridnestrovian side holds regular consultations with international experts in the field of education.
In this regard it should be noted that the Republic of Moldova is no less aware of the fact that international practice does not imply that the government should grant private non-state educational institutions with the subsidies, or provide them with premises without any charge, or exempt them from taxation, including physical persons ensuring educational process. Moreover, experience of leading European states rules out any possibility to function for those private educational institutions that have failed to undergo appropriate procedure of registration and licensing.
Pridnestrovie's position on the need to solve this issue based on mutually acceptable mechanism was repeatedly brought to the notice of the Republic of Moldova's leadership, inter alia during the meeting of President of the PMR Yevgeny Shevchuk and Prime Minister Iurie Leanca on September 23, 2013, where the latter was informed in-depth about the stance of the Pridnestrovian side.
In this connection, permanent declarations of Moldovan leadership and heads of Latin-script schools falsifying current state of this issue and substituting real practical actions with totally unsubstantiated declarations and insinuations in media sphere, cause nothing but confusion.
The Pridnestrovian side has all reasons to assume that the Republic of Moldova once again employs one of the most sensitive issues for a large-scale information campaign aimed to maintain tense situation around Latin-script schools, and to distract international mediators and partners from other more significant issues standing in current agenda of negotiations between the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and the Republic of Moldova, such as freedom of movement, lifting trade and economic barriers, and discriminatory documenting of Pridnestrovian citizens.
It should be stressed that in conditions of sustainable lack of willingness for efficient solution of the current problem on the part of Kishinev, demonstration of neglect of international recommendations by the Moldovan side, totally indifferent attitude to the fate of children, as well as permanent violation of PMR's legislation, Pridnestrovian authorities have never allowed interruption of educational process at Latin-script schools over the last two years, since there is conviction in Pridnestrovie that interests and rights of children should be the priority in this issue.
In this regard, Pridnestrovian MFA believes that using students as a tool of political confrontation, what we can witness today, is absolutely unacceptable and shall be condemned both by international community and general public of Moldova and Pridnestrovie.
