On November 19, 2024, OSCE Mission Office in Bendery hosted a meeting between the chief negotiators Vitaly Ignatiev and Oleg Serebrian, with mediators and observers in the negotiation process in attendance.
Welcoming the participants, the PMR Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that the negotiation process reflects currently low dynamics and an increasing number of issues leading to economic costs and violations of the rights of Pridnestrovian residents. He recorded no alternative to dialogue and highlighted the importance of signing the draft Declaration presented by the Pridnestrovian side during the previous meeting of political representatives held on 17 May 2024.
Presenting its content, Vitaly Ignatiev noted that the document has a clear purpose and outlines several fundamentally important elements: the obligations of the parties to make efforts in order to prevent a deterioration of the negotiations, to stay committed to the peaceful settlement approaches, as well as the proposal for all participants in the negotiation process to join the Declaration, etc. After discussing certain wordings of the draft Declaration, the parties agreed to proceed coordination of the document in the upcoming weeks.
During the discussion, the PMR Foreign Minister positively assessed the resumed operation of the Vehicle Registration Offices in Tiraspol and Rybnitsa. At the same time, he urged the Moldovan side to speed up decision making that would ensure access to the registration of vehicles imported after April 24, 2018. The Minister also highlighted the issue of driver’s licenses and the sharp increase in tariffs by the Republic of Moldova for services provided at the VROs. In this context, he proposed to hold a meeting of the expert (working) groups in the near future.
Vitaly Ignatiev particularly emphasized the Moldovan economic pressure on Pridnestrovie. He once again raised the issue of unjustified customs duties imposed on Pridnestrovian economic operators, noting that Pridnestrovian companies paid USD 9.5 million into Moldova’s budget over the nine months of 2024. He also pointed to the shutdown of three major factories in Pridnestrovie, which products cannot be delivered to customers due to their far-fetched classification as dual-use goods and the application of an inadequate and ineffective export mechanism. Additionally, a negative assessment was given to Moldova’s potential ill-considered actions, which could pose risks to the operation of the major budget revenue generating enterprise, i.e. JSC Moldova Steel Works.
A separate discussion was held regarding the banking ban, which involves the refusal to open and service accounts for Pridnestrovian businesses, as well as restrictions on correspondent transactions for Pridnestrovian banks. The Minister recalled previous OSCE recommendations and proposed providing updated expertise to recover the situation in the banking sector.
During the meeting, Vitaly Ignatiev stressed the worsening human rights situation in Pridnestrovie due to Moldova’s extended restrictions, including the adoption of several amendments to Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova, which have caused the threat of criminal prosecution for all residents of Pridnestrovie. The Pridnestrovian side presented specific instances of attempted recruitment, intensified inspections, obstacles to returning home, and other forms of pressure on Pridnestrovians crossing the Moldovan border. In this context, Pridnestrovie shared a memorandum outlining Moldova’s violations of the rights and freedoms of Pridnestrovian residents, from the perspective of international law, to O. Serebrian, as well as to mediators and observers. Vitaly Ignatiev expressed hope that this memorandum would become the core of substantive discussion after its review by all the participants to the negotiation process.
