On the Meeting of Subgroups on Banking Issues

05/31/20

Today, took place the meeting of subgroup on banking issues in a video conference format initiated by the Pridnestrovian side with representatives of international partners’ participation. It was for the first time after six-month that the meeting of specialists representing the banking sector of Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova was arranged. The break was caused by Kishinev's continuous work avoiding on this topic.

During the meeting, parties continued discussing problematic aspects in the context of the interbank interaction related to: lei mass excess conversion that forms during the Pridnestrovian-Moldovan trade; Pridnestrovian enterprises’ accounts opening and full functioning; the use of international payment cards blocking on the territory of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.

Once again, the Pridnestrovian delegation invited the Moldovan side to start immediately working out practical mechanisms to resolve problems in the banking sector, to present specific projects based on international recommendations.

Meanwhile, due to the fact that Moldovan representatives were not prepared to take on a substantive and objective work during the meeting, no viable solutions aimed at speeding the settlement of urgent problems in the banking sector were reached. We note Kishinev’s continuous destructive approach which consists in imitating a dialogue against the background of real readiness’ lack to remove blocking factors in the banking sector that grossly violate the rights and interests of Pridnestrovian residents and economic agents and which acquires a clearly inhumane context within pandemic crisis.

Moreover, the Moldovan side deliberately tried to shift the expert discussion to the political speculation plane, avoiding answering direct questions, trying to shift responsibility for its destructive actions.

Today, Moldova does not implement any of the negotiation process agreements related to interbank cooperation. In addition, during today's meeting, representatives of the Republic of Moldova stated that the Moldovan side canceled and does not intend to implement anymore the May 16, 2001 Protocol on mutual validity recognition of documents that are issued by competent authorities of the parties. In this regard, the Pridnestrovian side demanded that Kishinev provides official explanations to Pridnestrovie and all international participants in the “5 + 2” format.