The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a meeting between Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev and a delegation of permanent representatives of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) to the OSCE. The discussion was attended by diplomats from Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia, as well as the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Kelly Keiderling.
Welcoming the guests, the PMR Foreign Minister expressed a positive view of the OSCE representatives’ interest in the relationship between Pridnestrovie and Moldova: “Unfortunately, in recent years, the negotiation process has not received much international attention. It tends to attract interest only during times of crisis, problems, or escalation. This is a negative trend. I would like to emphasize that this conflict has a rather deep-rooted history, but at the same time, it still holds significant potential for a constructive resolution.”
During the meeting, Vitaly Ignatiev spoke about several key aspects of the Moldova-Pridnestrovie settlement process. He noted that this conflict differs from others in the post-Soviet space in that Chisinau itself created the legal preconditions for the self-determination and independence of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. The Pridnestrovian state was declared after the collapse of the USSR on the same grounds as the Moldovan state. Moreover, the Republic of Moldova, at the doctrinal level, built its statehood based on a rejection of the Moldavian SSR and therefore cannot claim territories that historically never belonged to it prior to 1940.
Another crucial point, according to the Minister, is the fact that it is Moldova that has systematically withdrawn from the dialogue and failed to fulfill its commitments. He noted that the more than thirty-year history of negotiations includes around 200 agreements. Had Chisinau implemented them, the sides would now be close to finalizing the settlement process. Instead, Chisinau disrupted the Bratislava meeting of the “Permanent Conference...” and has blocked the work of this format since 2019, ignoring multiple invitations from Pridnestrovie to hold meetings at the highest level. At the same time, interaction between political representatives is marked by weak dynamics and a lack of results: it was emphasized that in recent years, not a single agreement has been reached at this level. The diplomat drew particular attention to Oleg Serebrian’s refusal to sign the Declaration on Peaceful Approaches to Settlement.
Vitaly Ignatiev placed particular emphasis on the fact that Pridnestrovie is under constant pressure from Moldova, which continues to maintain and tighten banking and financial restrictions, introduced illegitimate customs duties as of January 1, 2024, initiates obstacles to the operation of Pridnestrovian enterprises, and creates repressive legal norms that pose a threat to all citizens of the PMR.
The Minister stated that Chisinau follows a deeply contradictory approach, creating artificial barriers in virtually all spheres.
“The negotiation process is in deep crisis, and one of the main reasons for this is the Moldovan side’s reluctance to resolve issues through civilized dialogue. That is why we count on the OSCE’s mediation, as well as on the involvement of other international actors who could contribute to normalizing the situation. For its part, Pridnestrovie always keeps communication channels open,” the diplomat concluded.
Continuing the discussion, he answered questions from OSCE representatives concerning Pridnestrovie’s future development in light of regional realities and prospects for engagement at the level of political representatives. The impact of the Moldova–EU dialogue on the PMR was also specifically addressed. In this context, the Minister emphasized that without a conflict settlement, the full integration of the Republic of Moldova into the EU is not possible.
