The meeting between Nina Shtanski, Deputy Chairperson of the Government of the PMR on Issues of International Cooperation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and delegation of the Russian Institute of Strategic Research (RISI). The delegation included Leonid Reshetnikov, the Director of the Institute, Mikhail Smolin, the Head of the RISI Humanitarian Research Centre, Ajdar Kurtov, Editor-in-Chief of the RISI magazine “Issues on National Strategy”, Oleg Nemensky and Vasily Kashirin, Senior Institute Researchers, and Sergey Kovalev, representative of the Institute of Military History, Ministry of Defence of Russia. Pridnestrovie was represented by Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs Vitaly Ignatiev and Igor Shornikov.
Interlocutors exchanged views on the foreign policy of the Republic. Guests, in particular, marked the long-range strategic choice of Pridnestrovie for Eurasian integration.
Officers of the PMR's MFA introduced the 2012 project “Eurasian Region - Pridnestrovie” to the guests. According to diplomats, the project is transparent and is planned to be enhanced in the future. The main aim of the project is to start economic cooperation with Moldova, Ukraine and Russia. We need expert assistance in order to find more effective ways of interaction. In this regard, interlocutors highly appreciated willingness of the RISI to cooperate with Pridnestrovian MFA in this area. “We have to be more active in the information realm of Russia to provide awareness of people that Pridnestrovie is an integrated part of the Eurasian area and that we shall find our place there. The Eurasian Economic Unit should be formed with Pridnestrovie as a part of it. Development of information platform in this view shall be the first step towards multi-faceted cooperation,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Shornikov said to journalists.
At the same time MFA considers that Eurasian integration as the national purpose of Pridnestrovie should be comprehensive and should include economic and political aspects. Diplomats expect to get first practical effects by the end of the year.
According to the head of the mission Leonid Reshetnikov Pridnestrovie is regarded in Russia as a part of the Russian World, i.e. Pridnestrovie should laterally join Eurasian integration processes across the CIS-area if not particularly directly. According to him it is referred to economic union where Pridnestrovie should be presented as a part of the Russian World.
“Strong media and information support is necessary to be held in Russia. Pridnestrovie is ready for it as far as I understand,” said Leonid Reshetnikov. “We discussed particular matters in view of arrangement of correspondent offices, publishing articles, shooting movies – all these aspects should form media basis for integration,” he added. Together we have to overcome such obstacles as “inactivity and indolence of Russian authorities.” “There should be an inciter for their activity. The temper of Dmitry Rogozin answers this purpose. Our task is to get out messages of Pridnestrovian foreign agency to him,” Russian guest concluded.
