Today, the PMR's MFA hosted a meeting between Deputy Chairperson of the Government of the PMR for International Cooperation, Foreign Minister Nina Shtanski and Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-In-Office Radojko Bogojević.
In the course of the meeting the participants discussed organisational and procedural aspects of preparations for the next 5+2 meeting which was scheduled on June 5 and 6, 2014 in Vienna. The Pridnestrovian side gave Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-In-Office its proposals in order to include them in the draft agenda of the upcoming meeting. It is expected that the OSCE Chairman-In-Office will present the draft agenda based on the proposals of the parties in the near future.
Commenting on the forthcoming negotiations, Nina Shtanski expressed her opinion that the participants need to concentrate attention on discussion of the issues relating to economic cooperation. “It is no secret that in circumstances when many constraints also impeded our economy before, the Ukrainian crisis seriously aggravated our economic development. In this regard, the parties should focus on achieving progress in negotiations, namely in the social and economic spheres,”- said the Diplomat. Nina Shtanski expressed satisfaction that the RM's Law on the cancellation of the discriminatory excise duties for the goods imported by Pridnestrovian business entities, as well as the abolition of the environmental tax and export-import customs clearance fees for the Pridnestrovian enterprises came into force. “I am confident that this “small step” toward the economic development has a great potential,”- she highlighted. The Minister informed Radojko Bogojević that on April 19 a.c. at the meeting of the representatives on political issues the Pridnestrovian side gave a list of mutual administrative obstacles preventing development of bilateral trade between Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova. Nina Shtanski proposed to move this list, supplemented by the proposals of the Moldovan party, as well as the prospects for lifting blockade of the external trade activities of Pridnetrovie up to the forefront of the discussions during the regular 5+2 meeting.
Nina Shanski informed the OSCE Representative about a number of problems in the current cooperation between Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova. Among them is the issue on the forced documentation of Pridnestrovie's people, the illegal seizure of the boxes with signatures of the citizens of Pridnestrovie under the petition to the President and the Government of the RF for the recognition of the republic which took place on the board of the governmental plane of the RF on May 10 a.c., and also criminal cases initiated in recent months against the officials of the PMR. “A problem on freedom of movement persists today; it is unfortunate, in our view, to speak about quite illogical and extremely dangerous steps of the Moldovan side which are expressed in the continued forced documentation of the citizens living in Pridnestrovie, as well as bringing accusations and initiation of criminal cases against state representatives of Pridnestrovie. Today, this referred to the Head of the State Administration of Dubossary, the Minister of the Interior who is also the Chief of one of the expert groups. We shared our utmost concern with our guests and expect that the OSCE will be able to act as a reliable mediator in resolving of such problem issues,” – said the Diplomat.
During the meeting the issue on land use by the Moldovan farmers in Dubossary District of Pridnestrovie was discussed by the OSCE's initiative. Answering journalists' questions Nina Shtanski said that she informed the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-In-Office about the current situation on that sphere. “Thanks to the positive unilateral decision of the Government of Pridnestrovie, today, 15 Moldovan farmers could continue to use lands in Dubossary District under favourable terms in the framework of the special regime provided to them. Such step, unfortunately, is not able to solve the problem as a whole, but confirms the constructive approach of the Pridnestrovian side,”- stated the Minister.
The Head of the Pridnestrovian diplomacy congratulated Radojko Bogojević on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the negotiation process celebrated in Pridnestrovie on April, 28 a.c. She informed the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-In-Office that the Round Tables were held on this occasion in the Moscow State University and the Pridnestrovian State University. The Head of the Foreign Ministry gave Radojko Bogojević a new edition of the PMR's MFA “Negotiation Process between the Pridnetrovian Moldavian Republic and the Republic of Moldova in Documents” as a present. She expressed hope that such symbolic gift finally will mark the start of the work on the analysis and revival of the agreements of the negotiation process, particularly in view of the fact that such initiative on the Pridnestrovie's proposal was voiced in person by Radojko Bogojević at the previous 5+2 meeting on February 27 and 28 a.c.
