Today, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PMR hosted the meeting of the Deputy Chairperson of the Government of the PMR for International Cooperation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nina Shtanski with the delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation headed by the State Secretary and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Grigory Karasin. The Russian side was also represented at the meeting by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Moldova Farit Mukhametshin and Head of the Moldova Section at the Second Department of CIS-countries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RF Oleg Rogoza. Deputy Foreign Ministers of the PMR Vitaly Ignatiev and Igor Shornikov also participated at the meeting.
Nina Shtanski stressed in the course of the meeting the importance of the visit of representatives from the Russian Foreign Ministry prior to the upcoming Vienna negotiation round in the 5+2 format. She also thanked the Russian side for support rendered to Pridnestrovie. “We are grateful to the Russian Federation, to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RF, to the Russian Embassy in Moldova for improvement of the consular and legal support of Pridnerstrovian nationals. I can't help but note the contribution of Russia to the strengthening of economic and social stability of Pridnerstrovie including humanitarian aid via Eurasian Integration Independent Noncommercial Organization,” she said.
The Head of the Foreign Dervice also highly appreciated the contribution of the Russian Federation to the development of the constructive interaction within the 5+2 format. “The role of Russia in the negotiation process in the 5+2 format is not only limited by guarantying functions – it is also an effective mediator demonstrating consistency between what is said and what is done. We always expect that all the members of the negotiating process will follow the good example of the Russian Federation,” Nina Shtanski emphasized.
Grigory Karasin, in turn, noted that the Russian Federation, helping Pridnestrovians, seeks to ensure that people, who live here, have confidence in the present and the future. “It is important that prosperous, self-confident people should live here. Therefore there is a mechanism of our interaction. Despite all the difficulties, we are together involved in the negotiations on the Pridnestrovian settlement. We advocate that all the efforts of the guarantors, mediator, participants and observers to the 5+2 format were directed to coordinate our positions, because in the end, everything depends on the decision of Pridnestrovians themselves. There cannot be any alternatives for such decisions in any of the international formats,” said the Russian diplomat.
During the meeting, Nina Shtanski informed the Russian delegation on the arrangements to the next meeting in the format of the Permanent Conference on Political Issues in the Framework of the Negotiating Process for Pridnestrovian Settlement, expressing concern that no single meeting of the political representatives of Pridnestrovie and Moldova was held because of the unwillingness of the Moldovan side to such contacts. According to the Foreign Minister, political consultations on the negotiating agenda are extremely important and create the basis of the interaction at various levels. “It is impossible to build an atmosphere of trust which is so necessary to form a solid foundation for a comprehensive settlement without a successful and effective cooperation,” said the diplomat.
The Minister noted with regret that in the absence of substantive cooperation this vacuum is filled with accusatory rhetoric, ultimatums and preconditions that are not conducive to the development of the spirit of constructive negotiations.
The problem faced by the Russian nationals applying to the Moldovan authorities for a residence permit and a certificate of absence of the Moldavian citizenship as well as the initiative of the Moldovan authorities on the imposing the so-called migration sanctions were also discussed during the meeting.
