The Foreign Ministry hosted a meeting between Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Moldova Kęstutis Kudzmanas. Emilija Punjute-Galoa, researcher at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania, also joined the discussion.
The dialogue focused on a wide range of issues related to the history and current state of relations between Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova.
The PMR Foreign Minister noted that the negotiation process has been stagnant for more than three years due to the Moldovan side’s actions, recalling the failure to sign the final protocol of the “Permanent Meeting...” in Bratislava in 2019 through the fault of Moldova. At the same time, he added, Moldova continues exerting complex pressure on Pridnestrovie by implementing a transport and medication blockade, creating artificial obstacles to the import of various categories of goods to the PMR, including vital ones, initiating politically motivated criminal cases against Pridnestrovian citizens. The situation around JSC Moldovan Steel Works was emphasized.
“The main problem in the Moldova-Pridnestrovie conflict is the outdated paradigm. The point of view on the situation, unfortunately, is in the same frozen state, and I would like it to change. If the world community looks at this situation objectively, I am sure that we will come to a peaceful settlement between the PMR and the Republic of Moldova – much faster”, the Minister stressed, in this context talking about the political and legal foundations for Pridnestrovie’s independence.
Other issues were touched upon during the meeting, including some aspects of the PMR economic development and foreign policy activities, current challenges and threats in the security sphere.
