The OSCE Office in Kishinev hosted a meeting of the political representatives of Pridnestrovie and Moldova.
During the meeting, the Pridnestrovian side initiated a wide range of current issues on Moldovan-Pridnestrovian negotiation process agenda including the Pridnestrovian vehicles participation in the international traffic, telecommunication, politically motivated criminal cases, banking issues, etc.
In the frames of the meeting, Vitaly Ignatiev proposed to sign three draft agreements at the 1+1 level: on the trailer admission to the VRO, technical trade barriers removal (initiated within working (expert) groups on economy on November 1, current year) and Moldovan and Pridnestrovian officials’ movement guarantees. It should be mentioned that the first two agreements were earlier approved at experts’ level of the sides and the third one, as marked by international participants of the negotiation process, is being de-facto implemented. However, the Moldovan side evaded signing the proposed draft documents under the made-up pretexts, thus continuing the negative practice of disrupting the existing negotiation mechanisms initiated by the former Moldovan political representative.
Within the discussion, the Pridnestrovian side requested current information as to the implementation by the Moldovan side of agreements on telecommunication issues, including the Protocol Decision and the Road Map, as well as regarding the termination of criminal cases against officials of the sides with related list exchanging.
The opening of Pridnestrovian economic agents’ accounts in Moldovan banks was addressed. “As to the banking issue, the meeting between representatives of Pridnestrovian enterprises and Moldovan banking institutions is expected in the next few days. I hope that such events will give impetus to the solution of this issue, and soon we will see Kishinev’s more precise stance. It is encouraging that the Moldovan side acknowledges the problem and that the OSCE is supporting its solution by inviting an international expert, Ms. Ilsa Schuster,” Vitaly Ignatiev noted while communicating with media after the meeting. According to him, Pridnestrovie proposed to hold a seminar in the near future involving international representatives where foreign practices will be studied to resolve problems in the banking sector.
The sides paid special attention to import of goods in Pridnestrovie with a particular focus on medicines in light of the joint customs control on the Pridnestrovian-Ukrainian border. “This is an urgent issue which may be posed point-blank from the first of February and cause problems for Pridnestrovian residents. Unfortunately, I am not satisfied with the response given by the Moldovan side; Kishinev’s approach is not fully understood. We will continue discussing this issue at all negotiation process levels”, the Minister stated.
In addition, Pridnestrovie proposed, as specified in a previously sent official letter, to prolong for a year the Protocol Decision on the Principles of Resumption of a Full-Scale Freight Railway Communication through the Territory of Pridnestrovie, pointing out that despite the significant contradictions in its implementation this agreement remains mutually beneficial and commercially attractive to both parties.
Vitaly Ignatiev and Alexander Flenchea also discussed the Bratislava Protocol signing prospects. “Pridnestrovie accepted the wording proposed by the OSCE during the Bratislava meeting. And today we were looking for possible options that would reflect the objective reality within the dialogue. We are ready to sign the document indicating problems which we have appropriately discussed and issues in which we want to see a way forward. Unfortunately, we have not achieved any results so far, but we will continue working before the end of the year”, Vitaly Ignatiev said.
The next meeting of political representatives of Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova is expected to take place next week.
