Protocol Decision “On participation of vehicles from Pridnestrovie, which do not perform economic activity, in the international road traffic” has been signed by political representatives Vitaly Ignatiev and Cristina Lesnic.
Political representatives from Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova Vitaly Ignatiev and Cristina Lesnik signed the Protocol Decision “On participation of vehicles from Pridnestrovie, which do not perform economic activity, in the international road traffic” in the Tkachenko Palace of Culture, Bendery, in the presence of representatives of mediators and observers in the negotiation process.
The agreement was preceded by intensive work at the level of specialized expert (working) groups of the parties on the development of transport and road infrastructure with participation of political representatives. During January-April this year, over 20 meetings were held in Kishinev and Tiraspol for the parties to agree on a mutually acceptable and car owners-oriented mechanism for the participation of Pridnestrovian vehicles in international road traffic. Thus, Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova complied with the relevant provisions of the protocols following the “Permanent Conference…” meetings in Berlin on 2-3 June 2016 and in Vienna on 27-28 November 2017.
According to the reached agreement, vehicles from Pridnestrovie that do not perform economic activity will participate in the international traffic if there are license plates and a vehicle registration certificate of an agreed standard. These license plates and documents will be issued at the Vehicles Registration Offices (VRO) in Tiraspol and Rybnitsa.
Experts of Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova at the VRO, at the request of car owners, will jointly inspect vehicles and register them, as well as issue license plates and registration certificates of vehicles with which Pridnestrovian car owners can travel abroad.
The Republic of Moldova will officially inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations about these samples of the registration certificate of the vehicle and the license plate issued in accordance with this Protocol Decision, which will be valid for use in international road traffic.
Commenting on the agreement reached during the briefing for the media, Vitaly Ignatiev stressed that this mechanism for the participation of Pridnestrovian vehicles in international road traffic is available to all citizens of Pridnestrovie, permanently residing in Pridnestrovie, without exception, and its use is voluntary. According to him, Pridnestrovians who wish to travel using the existing license plates of the PMR will be able to travel through the territory of Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova without any restrictions.
“This mechanism is complex and elaborate. Vehicles Registration Offices will be created, experts of the parties will be engaged in their operation. These mechanisms will work under the supervision of political representatives and we hope that the period determined in the agreement will be sufficient to ensure that the mechanism will be fully operational since September 1 and the residents of Pridnestrovie will be able to secure their rights related to freedom of movement,” stressed the Head of the Pridnestrovian Foreign Ministry.
“We hope that this agreement will become part of other resolved issues reflected in the Vienna Protocol. I would like to express my gratitude to the representatives of the expert (working) groups, who held about twenty-five meetings, including those involving political representatives. I would like to note that reaching an agreement would also be impossible without active participation and political will of Kishinev. I would like to take this opportunity to address international participants in the negotiation process, mediators represented by the OSCE Mission, guarantors and observers and thank them for their active participation in this work. This is our common achievement and outcome,” the diplomat said.
Completing communication with the press, Vitaly Ignatiev stated that the Pridnestrovian side insists on the early holding of the “Permanent Conference...” meeting in the 5+2 format with a view to a comprehensive discussion of all topical issues on the agenda of the negotiation process. “We will make every effort to ensure that other problems are resolved in the same substantive, elaborate manner in the people’s interests,” he said.
