Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PMR told about it during his speech at the expanded session of the reporting collegium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PMR, arranged to coincide with the celebration of the Day of the Worker of the Diplomatic Service.
As part of the report Vitaly Ignatiev noted that in 2015 the Pridnestrovian diplomacy worked exceptionally difficult conditions, characterized by “a comprehensive compound of at once several problematic global and regional factors”, among which, according to the head of the Foreign Ministry, the whole set of measures of pressure on the republic, organized by the neighbouring countries, holds a special place.
Among such unilateral steps of international partners the head of the MFA of the PMR mentioned the initiation of politically motivated criminal cases like an avalanche against government officials and entrepreneurs of Pridnestrovie, the adoption by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of Resolution No.117 on the ban on movement of excisable goods through the checkpoints with Pridnestrovie, the introduction by the RM’s border police of the ban on crossing the Moldovan-Ukrainian border for Pridnestrovian vehicles, the destructive decision to change the mechanism of delivery of imported goods to Pridnestrovie, as well as Moldova and Ukraine’s agreement on setting joint customs and border control on the border of the republic.
“These actions were accompanied throughout the year by an aggressive denigrating propaganda campaign in neighbouring states. Prinestrovie was groundlessly accused of certain preparations of military nature, at the same time the Ukrainian side enhanced the presence of armed groups on the border, developed fortification infrastructure, conducted unauthorized reconnaissance flights over the territory of Prinestrovie. In turn, Moldova, pointedly ignoring the 1992 Agreement on principles of peaceful settlement, together with the US National Guard units conducted military exercises directly in the Security Zone,” - stated the diplomat.
“It is obvious that such a massive and long-term political and information campaigns covering up the various forms of unilateral pressure do not occur spontaneously and pursue quite specific goals and objectives, hostile to our state,” - said the head of the Foreign Ministry.
Vitaly Ignatiev noted during his speech that throughout the year the Moldovan side covered up the unilateral measures of pressure on Pridnestrovie by multiple public declarations, in practice dodging the real substantive dialogue with Pridnestrovie, “deliberately torpedoing the negotiation structures and virtually pushing the dialogue itself “to the curb”, away from the principles, procedures and agreements adopted in international negotiation format”.
However, according to the head of the Foreign Ministry of the PMR, the Pridnestrovian diplomacy, “not because of, but in spite of” managed to achieve concrete positive results in 2015.
The diplomat noted that in the spring of 2015 it was possible to organize two meetings at the highest level in Kishinev and Tiraspol, on 14 March the President of the PMR and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova signed the Additional Protocol to the Protocol Decision on railway communication, which prolonged the document until the end of 2016, also signed the documents in insurance and environment fields. In particular, during the meeting of the leaders of the parties on April 10 a Protocol decision on cooperation in the sphere of the Compulsory Insurance of the Civil Liability of Vehicle Owners was signed, in the development of which the framework mechanism of interaction of insurance entities was adopted on May 8. “All 14 insurance companies of the RM providing services on the Compulsory insurance of the civil liability of vehicle owners were acceded to the mechanism. Earlier when an insured event occurs the owners of vehicles registered in Pridnestrovie and insured by Moldovan companies were deprived of insurance payments in connection with the adoption of decisions by the Moldovan courts not to recognize the Pridnestrovian technical inspection certificate, or the infringement notice issued by the State Automobile Inspectorate of the PMR. Today, the facts are virtually eliminated,” - he stated.
Vitaly Ignatiev also said that in the framework of the dialogue with the Moldovan side Pridnestrovian diplomats managed to reach agreement on imposing a moratorium on the ban on crossing the Moldovan-Ukrainian border by car, registered in Pridnestrovie, imposed by the Border Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RM. The release of the Pridnestrovian militiaman detained in Athens because of the criminal case initiated against him in the RM was another significant achievement of the Foreign Ministry.
“The release of Pridnestrovian militiaman Maksim Kuzmichev from custody in the Hellenic Republic became another confirmation of the fair position of Pridnestrovie and exposure of a fabricated, politically motivated prosecution on the part of Moldova,” - emphasized the head of the Pridnestrovian diplomacy.
According to Vitaly Ignatiev, significant progress has been made in the direction of strengthening cooperation with the Russian Federation.
“Throughout the year and currently there has been work on priority projects aimed at promoting the stabilization of the economic situation in Pridnestrovie through bilateral assistance mechanisms, as well as through political and diplomatic support in the “5+2” format. It is noteworthy that the Russian Foreign Ministry in its official statements admitted the strengthening of social and economic blockade of Pridnestrovie. During the year a significant number of meetings were held at the level of the President of the PMR and Deputy Chairperson of the Russian Government D.O. Rogozin, the project on paying Russian pensions to Russian citizens residing in the PMR is being implemented. The events organized in the framework of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the PMR became particularly significant for the republic. The mechanism of a simplified procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship is being effectively implemented in the republic (since December 2014) about 13 thousand applications were accepted by the Consular Department, over 6 thousand of which obtained citizenship,” - said the diplomat.
The head of the MFA of the PMR also reminded that thanks to the specialists of the Emergency Situations Ministry of Russia a unique operation to dismantle the cargo aerial ropeway (funicular) was completed in June 2015 in the cities of Rybnitsa and Rezina, Pridnestrovie and Moldova agreed to hold it in May of 2013 in Odessa.
Touching upon the work of the Foreign Ministry of the PMR in the European direction, Vitaly Ignatiev stressed that the fact that mutually acceptable parameters of a new fruitful trade regime with the European Union were approved at the end of the year became a serious success, which helped to maintain the possibilities for profitable export of Pridnestrovian goods in the EU member states and established the basis for the economic survival of the Pridnestrovian state.
Commenting on the level of interaction with other international partners, the head of the Pridnestrovian diplomacy stated that the 2015 became a period of gradual restoration of normal communication in relations with Ukraine, in particular, several formal and informal meetings with appointed Ukrainian Ambassador to Moldova I.N. Gnatishin were held.
However, according to Vitaly Ignatiev, “Ukraine continues inertial “playing along” with discriminatory steps of Moldova, often ignoring the status of guarantor and mediator in the negotiation process, as well as the second homeland for a quarter of the population of Pridnestrovie, which are Ukrainian nationals or ethnic Ukrainians”.
At the end of his speech, the Foreign Minister emphasized: the republic did not deviate from the chosen strategic vector, under increasing external pressure and a region-wide turbulence it confidently moves towards the course for independence chosen by the people, while maintaining a commitment to the principles of peaceful dialogue and good neighbourly relations.
“The Pridnestrovian diplomacy has repeatedly proved its ability to cope with the challenges, demonstrating the immunity from destructive external influence. High dynamics of contacts with international partners, both in the East and West, confirms that today the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic acts as a respected member of any dialogue. External players listen to the opinion of the Pridnestrovian side, since practice shows that ignoring position of Pridnestrovie eventually lead to a dead end and will require accelerated correction of mistakes,”- said Vitaly Ignatiev.
