On the evening of 23 November this year, the Moldovan side took discriminatory measures to limit the departure of the Political Representative of Pridnestrovie to the Russian Federation in transit through Chisinau airport.
The flight was disrupted by deliberately delaying passport control procedures and conducting the so-called thorough “second line check”, which included examination of personal belongings and luggage. This provocation was sanctioned by the Moldovan leadership, which, hiding behind the backs of the technical executors represented by the Moldovan Border Police, is trying to limit the activity of the Pridnestrovian Political Representative in such a primitive way, in violation of the existing negotiation process agreements.
With yesterday’s provocation, Chisinau demonstrated its real commitment to democratic values, rights and freedoms, to the international negotiation process itself and its underlying principles, its willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with Pridnestrovie, and at the same time proved its political level and diplomatic capacity.
For many years the Moldovan side has exerted politically motivated pressure on citizens and officials of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic at Chisinau airport, but previously administrative obstacles have not led to the disruption of planned departures. We consider the unprecedented measures of personal pressure on the Head of the Pridnestrovian negotiation team as an attempt by Moldova to destroy the negotiation mechanisms and increase the escalation of tension. Chisinau is so unsure of its own position at the negotiating table that it decided to compensate for its political and diplomatic failure with such uncivilized methods.
Obviously, today the Moldovan side has no moral right even to mention the issue of freedom of movement, which in recent years has become a favorite topic for unsubstantiated claims against Pridnestrovie by Moldovan officials.
We urge all participants in the negotiation process to assess the restriction of freedom of movement of the Pridnestrovian Political Representative and to take efforts to eliminate similar and other forms of gross violations of the rights and freedoms of the PMR citizens.
