Deputy Chairperson of the Government of the PMR for International Cooperation, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nina Shtanski met with Head of the EU Delegation in Moldova Pirkka Tapiola in the PMR's MFA today. The meeting was attended by Head of European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) Francesco Bastagli.
The sides discussed the rapid deterioration of the economic situation in Pridnestrovie in the context of increasing economic blockade on the part of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. According to Nina Shtanski, today Pridnestrovie stands on the cusp of loss of the largest markets - Ukraine and the European Union; transit of goods in Pridnestrovie through Ukraine has already decreased in half, the trade turnover with the neighboring country in the first quarter of this year has decreased by 54% compared to the same period last year.
The foreign minister also stressed that the economic pressure on Pridnestrovie are not acceptable. At the same time, she said, the Pridnestrovian side expects more constructive role of the European Union and a more responsible approach of the EUBAM.
“We would like to conduct an open, honest, sober and pragmatic dialogue with all of our external partners. The purpose of this dialogue – a search for economic tools to improve the welfare of people, to revive the economy, and not vice versa. In our opinion, instead of blackmail and pressure it is necessary to focus on a joint search for solutions. All international partners involved in the Pridnesrovian settlement, in our opinion, should bear the social responsibility for what is happening,” - said the diplomat.
In his turn, Francesco Bastagli noted that EUBAM does not disregard the new cycle of economic deterioration. “We constantly face with new challenges, some of them are very wide-ranging, in particular, the current problems in the region as a whole, which cannot but affect the economy. We also note that some measures have been taken that really complicated the situation in addition to the existing challenges,”- he said.
