A working meeting of the Pridnestrovian leader Vadim Krasnoselsky with the Ambassador-at-Large of the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation Vitaly Tryapitsyn took place in the Administration of the PMR President. The Russian guest was accompanied by Co-Chairman of the Joint Control Commission from Russia Andrey Gorobtsov and Assistant to the Ambassador Arif Hajiyev. From the Pridnestrovian side, the PMR Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev participated in the discussion.
Following an exchange of greetings, the sides outlined the agenda of the meeting. In addition to the issues of Pridnestrovian-Russian cooperation in various aspects, they consider the discussion of the negotiation process between Pridnestrovie and Moldova to be important. Russia is an active participant in the format of the “Permanent Conference...”. The opinion of the Russian Foreign Ministry is of significance for Pridnestrovie. Today's conversation is of particular value given the expected round of negotiations in Stockholm in the near future. Vadim Krasnoselsky spoke about the preliminary results and discussion of the current agenda with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde, noting the unity of positions on the expediency of holding meetings aimed at achieving practical results.
Among the problematic aspects, the issue of restrictions on movement of vehicles with Pridnestrovian license plates from September 1was discussed in detail. Vadim Krasnoselsky recalled Moldova's failure to fulfill the obligations stipulated in the jointly signed protocol of April 24, 2018. The PMR President stressed that the Moldovan side demonstrates unwillingness to solve this acute social problem. He also focused on the fact that the situation, initially presented as a decision taken by the Ukrainian side to ban the crossing of the Pridnestrovian-Ukrainian border by PMR cars, now reveals facts confirming the existence of a Moldovan-Ukrainian collusion. The PMR Foreign Minister bolstered the President's statement, recalling a series of events and decisions that led to the current state of affairs.
Vadim Krasnoselsky expressed confidence that Moldova had the opportunity to continue an efficient dialogue, preventing the creation of insuperable difficulties resulting from the current approach. Pridnestrovie is still ready to negotiate, openly declares this and takes concrete steps, the President of the PMR stressed. Letters stating the real facts, a list of existing problems and proposals for a way out of the current situation were sent to the Moldovan leadership. There has been no response to the appeals yet.
Vadim Krasnoselsky cited a significant number of problems faced by residents of both Pridnestrovie and Moldova as either a result of certain actions, or in other aspects – the Moldovan authorities inaction. Pridnestrovie pins its hopes for achieving actual results, and not creating the appearance of productivity, with the participation of Russia and other mediators and the “5+2” observers in the negotiations.
“The double approach on the part of Moldova is obvious. We see the unwillingness of the Moldovan side to continue the dialogue on the topic of license plates, to fulfill the signed protocols, to look for ways of resolving problems. This also applies to reanimobiles, cargo transportation, passenger transportation. And everyone sees this, all the “5+2”participants are watching this. There are other problems which include the unfulfilled on the part of Moldova obligations on telecommunications, the protocol on Dubossary lands, the apostille of diplomas, the lack of an algorithm for registering accounts of our enterprises, the closure of international settlements using the Mastercard and Visa system, the illegal seizure of our Pridnestrovian coins on the Ukrainian territory by the border service of Moldova in the amount of seventy thousand US dollars, the illegal arrest on fabricated evidence and conviction of a Pridnestrovian citizen Samoniy for 15 years... All this does not bring optimism to our dialogue. The functioning of the “5+2” format gives at least some hope that Moldova and Pridnestrovie, with the involvement of all “5+2”participants, will be able to answer the question of whether the parties are ready to move forward,” Vadim Krasnoselsky said in the conversation with Vitaly Tryapitsyn.
“The Russian Federation has seen from the outset the danger of a unilateral uncoordinated step taken on the first of September. We talked about the fact that this would cause very tangible harm to the whole process and would lead to unpredictable consequences. We can already see it, and only because the problem of transport itself, both cargo and passenger, is not being solved and the mechanism for issuing neutral-design license plates is facing known problems, but also because all other issues of interaction between the parties have been sidelined. At the moment, those issues of small steps tactics, confidence-building measures, which everyone has always talked about and which over the past years have given some progress, are barely remembered now. They have gone on hold. Therefore, of course, a meeting of the “5+2” format is necessary. If we talk about the position of the Russian Federation, we are in favor of such a meeting without preconditions and proceed from the fact that in the remaining time (as you know, the dates are scheduled for early November), the parties will take additional steps to optimize the search for possible solutions to the issues that have accumulated. First of all, regarding the vehicle problem. The small steps tactics in promoting the solution of these issues has many other aspects, so, of course, we advocate that meetings of political representatives be held on a regular basis, so that meetings of sectoral working groups return to a regular basis,” the Russian diplomat noted in turn.
The sides also discussed issues of bilateral cooperation. It was emphasized that the Pridnestrovian-Russian dialogue remains stable and constant.
