Maksim Kiselev: Yevgeny Shevchuk, the President of Pridnestrovie, is in touch with us.
Hello, Yevgeny Vasilievich! One of the experts compared Pridnestrovie with a surrounded fortress. Blockade – this is a definition which suits now for a description of the situation in Pridnestrovie?
Yevgeny Shevchuk: I totally agree with this definition, because we feel the increasing pressure on Pridnestrovie by Kishinev, official Kiev both in economic, information, and in fact, military areas, because additional forces and resources of these countries are concentrated along the borders.
Maksim Kiselev: Men are not allowed to enter. You do not have the possibility to import your goods. We know there are large enterprises in Pridnestrovie, and you are able to trade. Can at least some products break through the border now? How do you earn?
Yevgeny Shevchuk: There are more and more difficulties. The blockade of economic opportunities of Pridnestrovie is intensifying, in fact. It started at the end of August last year, when Ukraine changed the mode for our enterprises. This year Moldovan authorities’ decision has intensified.
Unfortunately, many enterprises stop, reduce their volume of output, budget revenues fall. In our opinion, additional socio-economic tensions are artificially provoked.
Maksim Kiselev: Saakashvili just recently managed to accuse Pridnestrovie that it is from you, he says, that smuggled goods move through Odessa to Ukraine. What would you say?
Yevgeny Shevchuk: Since 2006 the EUBAM mission is on the Pridnestrovian-Ukrainian border. These are European experts, who did not find a single fact of smuggling. So I would advise to carefully read the reports of international experts. I regard these statements as another element of information war and pressure on Pridnestrovie to create conditions for tighter blockade of Pridnestrovie.
Maksim Kiselev: How, in your opinion, the fact that Mikhail Saakashvili came to power in the Odessa region could affect the growing pressure on Pridnestrovie? In fact, many people say that it is for this purpose he has been sent there.
Yevgeny Shevchuk: The appointment of Mikhail Saakashvili for this position is a sovereign matter of Ukraine. But, it is necessary to say straight, Pridnestrovie perceived the news with a certain apprehension and tension. Of course, the society draw parallels with the events of 2008 in South Ossetia. We are wary about this information. We will observe the actions of the official. There is such concern. It is backed by the fact that in close proximity to the borders of Pridnestrovie - and we share a border with the Odessa region about 400 km, - additional forces and resources of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard have been concentrated, some units have been withdrawn from the so-called operation ATO.
Any aggressive statements are aimed primarily to divert the attention of the population of the neighbouring Odessa region.
We note that over a long period of time Ukrainian media have stirred up tensions among the population of Ukraine, even zombifying them in part by saying that the Pridnestrovian army together with the Russian army with the limited contingent are going to attack either on the Vinnytsia region, or the Odessa region, or on both regions. Of course, this disinformation is badly perceived by inhabitants of Odessa region, and it causes tension in Pridnetrovie itself.
Maksim Kiselev: But then, Moldovan military became also more active. Not so long ago they conducted joint exercises with the Americans. You have a growing sensation of threat, as I understand it?
Yevgeny Shevchuk: Risks are increasing and making the Pridnestrovian authorities to focus on improving security and directly by their own forces and resources.
Maksim Kiselev: This situation with peacekeepers in which the units of peacekeeping forces have been found themselves, when you cannot, evidently, make rotation, transport, possibly the food, due to the fact that now Ukraine has closed both the airspace and its territory for transportation the peacekeepers and food reserves. How do you solve this situation now: together with a team of peacekeeping forces or they come out of the situation somehow by their own?
Yevgeny Shevchuk: I would like to note that such actions taken to restrict the passage of uniforms and all necessary elements to the territory of Pridnestrovie aimed primarily at undermining the peacekeeping operation as a whole. These actions are not new. Such statements appear in Kishinev. Kishinev periodically blocks itself the meeting of the Joint Control Commission. Ukraine, on the other hand, blocks the supply of all necessary. Of course, a limited group of troops, together with the peacekeepers, as well as all Pridnestrovie are today, I would say, in such a hostile political environment. As for the food, Pridnestrovie is an agricultural state. There is enough food. Of course, we will share with our colleagues.
Maksim Kiselev: Thank you! President of the Pridnestrovian Moldovan Republic Yevgeny Shevchuk has been in touch with us.
Yevgeny Shevchuk: Thank you!
Source: president.gospmr.ru
