On the Meeting of Motor Transport Field Experts

02/28/23

At the Pridnestrovian side’s initiative, an on-line meeting of expert (working) groups on transport and road infrastructure development was held today.

The key issue on the agenda of the meeting was the functioning of the Vehicle Registration Offices in Tiraspol and Rybnitsa.

In this context, the Pridnestrovian side highlighted a concrete workable initiative that can help restore the full functionality of the mechanism in the coming months.

In particular, the need to settle some of the key problems that hamper the work of the VROs at this stage and to carry out a visit to clarify technical issues was emphasized. This might allow for a subsequent decision at the level of political representatives to make the mechanism fully operational.

To this end, it is necessary to remove the artificial restrictions legislatively adopted by the Republic of Moldova as to the VRO registration of vehicles imported into Pridnestrovie before September 2018. It was noted that these restrictions run counter to the provisions of the Protocol Decision of April 24, 2018 and its annexes which in a detailed and structured manner describe the registration procedure at the VROs for Pridnestrovian motor vehicles imported before the mechanism was launched. The Pridnestrovian side expects that the competent authorities of Moldova will soon introduce a legislative initiative to revise these unmotivated restrictions.

Furthermore, the PMR representatives asked the Moldovan side to speed up the solution of the problem related to the procurement of the Pridnestrovian license plates. It was pointed out that under the terms of the 2018 Protocol Decision (paragraph 4), as well as a number of previously reached agreements, including the Joint Statement on the Guarantees of Free Movement of Motor Vehicles on the Roads of the Republic of Moldova of November 24, 1995 and Protocol on Mutual Recognition of the Validity of Documents Issued by the Competent Authorities of the Sides of May 16, 2001, the movement on the Pridnestrovian and Moldovan roads with Pridnestrovian license plates cannot be restricted. Besides, primary registration of vehicles for subsequent registration at the VROs is not possible without special blanks, and therefore the early solution of this problem is needed.

Along with this, the interlocutors discussed the problem of verifying the authenticity of the issued driving licenses, insurance under the Green Card contracts and logistics involving a number of bridges over the Dniester River.