First Pridnestrovian Channel: Yevgeny Vasilievich, today we celebrate a big holiday. It is time to draw conclusions. Please, tell us, how was the 24th year of the Republic?
Yevgeny Shevchuk: For the past year we have made a small step, but a step forward; first of all, in those directions which were declared priorities in the republic. This stands for serious investments in healthcare and education. I want to say that non-government investments exceed government ones in approximately 34-35 times. It is rather significant capital investments which we have made in healthcare. We reached such rate for the first time in twenty years.
This does not include the ANO “Eurasian integration” project. And if we include the project, the investments in healthcare are approximately in 400 times more than before. It will become more apparent for people when these objects, in particular, healthcare facilities, “will be put into operation”. We expect that part of the project will be completed by the end of this year. Part of the project will be completed next year. Serious investments in education have been made as well.
It is clear that many Pridnestrovians would like to have all schools renovated in one or two years. But this is not possible due to the fact that it is a huge work. But a lot of work has been carried out. Why were healthcare and education marked as priorities? Because we have to create a decent living environment for our Pridnestrovians. This refers to other areas as well. There are positive results both in human life, and in the state life, but there is also something to work on. And today, on this celebration day, I would like to thank all Pridnestrovians, economic agents and all those whose work made this result possible.
The newspaper “Adeverul Nistrean”: Yevgeny Vasilievich, as we know, the next round of negotiations in the “5 +2” format is planned. Is Pridnestrovie getting ready to this round of negotiations?
Yevgeny Shevchuk: Pridnestrovie has always based on the fact that it is necessary to consider all the conflicts peacefully and through negotiations. We have performed and are consistently performing in this direction. We believe that peace is much better than any war, any conflict. We would like to urge all our partners to stop the actual economic, informational, diplomatic war against Pridnestrovie, to create the necessary platform for real, very serious, and among others political negotiations in the future. Today there is a number of questions on which we have not received intelligible, clear answers from our partners within the “5 + 2” format and during direct contacts.
It certainly concerns us and the Pridnestrovian delegation might address to our partners with a request to postpone Viennese consultations, which, as known, will be held on 10 and 11 of September, because of the fact that our partners in Kishinev have taken a number of obscure, at least for us, actions against representatives of Pridnestrovie. There are issues related to the fact that Moldova has initiated a number of criminal cases against members of the Pridnestrovian government authorities, Chairperson of the Government, leaders of cities and regions. We believe that this is, at a minimum, unfriendly step aimed at disrupting the atmosphere of the negotiation process. We also do not understand, what are the reasons for efforts or actions of Moldova, which form the platform, I would say, for a phone war.
Moldova issued a license that actually creates the conditions for several providers to work at one and the same frequencies. This can lead to a telephone war that we absolutely do not want. We have been through this. It is unclear why it is done now. At the time Pridnestrovie constructively reacted to the fact that it is necessary to maintain communication to ensure that people communicate and agreed that the Pridnestrovian provider bought a license in Moldova, paid money for it. The upshot was that they took away the license and did not return the money. And today once again conditions are created to start the war of mobile operators. If so, then it certainly would not create positive preconditions for negotiation format.
If this is some kind of technical confusion, it is necessary to clarify and sign an agreement that would not create preconditions for the phone wars. It is also unclear for us why the agreement, reached recently in the framework of the “5 + 2” format - an agreement on dismantling of the cableway in Rybnitsa, threatening lives of Rybnitsa residents, has not been implemented yet. Unfortunately, this is not implemented. In this respect Pridnestrovie quite constructively responded to requests of international partners, created the necessary conditions for Romanian schools functioning on the territory of our republic.
Yes, with certain conditions. These conditions we have discussed, but Moldova again has not fully fulfilled them. We have created conditions for Moldovan producers to carry their agricultural products from the Dubossary region. That proves that we are acting in the way of positive, constructive steps to form a platform for discussion of the most difficult problems. Unfortunately, we do not have answers to many questions. Moreover, in recent years we have been clearly receiving signals from our international partners that the Moldovan diplomacy is making active efforts to isolate Pridnestrovie internationally.
They send so called recommendations to the embassies, accredited in Moldova, not to communicate with us. I do not know why this is happening. If they do it in order to isolate us, then, in my opinion, it does not meet requirements to provide opportunities to all the participants of the “5 + 2” format in order to become acquainted with the real situation and make their own conclusions, rather than on the basis of the conclusions of the Moldovan partners. And we are worried, because such actions are inconsistent with the spirit of constructive interaction and those plans that were announced by the leadership of Pridnestrovie and Moldova.
For more than two years was announced the need to make a series of actions aimed at minimizing the negative impact on the economy. The tactics of small steps was announced. Unfortunately, it is not fully implemented. There are positive steps, but, in our opinion, they are extremely not enough. Within the negotiations Pridnestrovie behaved initiative, offered the actual initiatives in four times more. I want to emphasize that this is a clear demonstration of willingness to negotiate. Therefore, we believe that it is necessary to switch to a different mode of consultations to clarify answers to questions that I presented above.
And after that, to understand how and whether the working groups are working, which are the main constituents of the negotiations, prepare drafts of possible agreements for the “5 + 2” format. So I hope that with Moldovan partners and with the support of our international partners we are able to establish a constructive partnership, to intensify the negotiating process and to unblock the information and economic issues in order to enable people to move freely across the Moldovan-Pridnestrovien borders, so they could trade, visit each other. Thank you!
IA “News of Pridnestrovie”: Yevgeny Vasilievich, how are implemented interdepartmental memoranda between Russia and Pridnestrovie today? What are the specific projects filling them today, given the fact that yesterday, came into force the Association Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova and the Pridnestrovian exporters become one step closer to the loss of the European market. What are the prospects for the reorientation of the Pridnestrovian exports to the Russian and Eurasian markets?
Yevgeny Shevchuk: If you watch the situation carefully, then you see that the signing of agreements continues, that provide technical formula for the supply of Pridnestrovian products to the Russian Federation. It\'s not so easy to do, because we must measure relevant standards, have appropriate laboratory and so on. I will not penetrate deeply into the technical aspects, but we feel the support of the Russian state authorities and institutions that help us to work out certification methodology and the technical procedures to ensure that our products meet the standards that are currently in force in the Customs Union. There is a dense work. Even today, the Chairperson of the Government is flying on a business trip to Russia to discuss the problems in the field of foreign trade.
“Amanah Capital Group Limited” (Malaysia): We have been recently studying Pridnestrovie. We are preparing a report about your country. We found a very good topic for publication – we want to write about the business here. What can you say about Pridnestrovie?
Yevgeny Shevchuk: First of all, I would like to wish to your people the economic development. I would like to see your entrepreneurs invested in Pridnestrovie. We have our own competitive advantages. Despite the fact that we are in difficult circumstances, taking into account the situation in Ukraine and Moldova, which takes a more radical position and wants to join NATO - we do our best to keep the situation stable here. And you can see that Pridnestrovie develops. Therefore, we invite the investors to jointly develop the Pridnestrovian economy. I want to say that the people of Pridnestrovie are very hardworking and conscientious.
The fact that Pridnestrovie develops even in difficult conditions proves that the Pridnestrovian economy has the serious potential. The conflicts and vicissitudes will be resolved, the situation in Moldova and Ukraine will be stabilized. As you know it is a period of elections now in Moldova. And when elections are held, there is always a certain tension. But Pridnestrovie, I believe, has a serious potential for dynamic development. We hope that in relations with our partners in the Customs Union we will achieve the level of interaction that will create conditions for more rapid development than in Moldova and Ukraine. We wish it for our people and work for it. Please, come to us, we will cooperate. Thank you!
Originally published: president.gospmr.ru
