Pridnestrovie and Moldova’s Representatives on Political Issues Vitaly Ignatiev and Gheorghe Balan met in the office of the OSCE Mission in Kishinev.
On the initiative of the Pridnestrovian side the meeting discussed a wide range of issues related to the current state of the dialogue at the level of sectoral expert (working) groups. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Vitaly Ignatiev noted that the work of relevant experts on issues of particular importance for Pridnestrovie keeps stalling. “We have not received yet any clear position from the Moldovan experts and the RM’s political representative,” he said. At the same time, Pridnestrovie has offered a wide range of initiatives to be discussed at the level of relevant specialists, but all of them are under consideration of the Moldovan side for several months and remain unanswered.
In particular, in the course of today's meeting, the Pridnestrovian side made a special emphasis on the problems of rail freight communication. Thus, the importance of ensuring a fair and mutually acceptable scheme of delivery of imported goods in Pridnestrovie was stressed. It should be recalled that the technology scheme of importing by rail in Pridnestrovie was unilaterally changed by Moldova and Ukraine at the end of 2015.
Commenting on the results of the dialogue with the Moldovan counterpart, Vitaly Ignatiev said that on the initiative of the Republic of Moldova an emergency meeting of the expert (working) groups of the parties on that matter took place on April 29, 2016, but the Moldovan representatives did not expressed willingness for substantive interaction with colleagues from Pridnestrovie. “Today, we have proposed to Mr. Balan to take part together in the next meeting of experts with a view to giving, if necessary, additional political impetus to the work. This issue is very sensitive for us, because it is connected with economic losses both of the railway and enterprises of Pridnestrovie, including possible redundancies and reduction of working day,” highlighted the head of the Foreign Ministry of Pridnestrovie.
Representatives on political issues also discussed other areas of the work of Pridnestrovian and Moldovan experts, in particular in the field of transport, education and ecology. Thus, during the meeting of Gheorghe Balan assured that on the results of a four-month consideration of the Pridnestrovian comprehensive proposal in the field of transport, the Moldovan side will be ready to provide its vision of the mechanisms for resolving problematic issues in this area in the near future. We remind that a draft agreement developed by the Pridnestrovian side, which includes a number of initiatives on freight, passenger and light vehicles, was supported by the mediators and observers in the negotiation process, which was also confirmed in the framework of their recent visit to Pridnestrovie.
As said by the head of the Pridnestrovian Foreign Minister, at the meeting the Pridnestrovian side restated the inadmissibility to organize the joint Moldovan-Ukrainian customs and border control on the border with Pridnestrovie at the checkpoint “Kuchurgan”, as it would lead to irreparable consequences. During the discussion, the Pridnestrovian side provided a series of specific arguments evidencing the expected negative effects in various areas due to the introduction of the joint control.
“Such unilateral steps are inadmissible, they may significantly undermine the negotiation process and the mechanisms that exist within it. Any statements that such actions may somehow have a positive impact on Pridnestrovian economic agents cannot withstand any criticism. According to our estimates, the introduction of the joint control will lead to multi-million losses, to the destruction of entire sectors, including individual entrepreneurship. The triple customs and border control have never contributed to the improvement of economic relations. Moreover, there is the factor of criminal cases against the leaders of Pridnestrovian enterprises, and it cannot be excluded that the Moldovan side use them to further restrict the capacities and capabilities of our economic agents under the joint control,” stated the diplomat.
According to preliminary agreements, the next meeting of Pridnestrovie and Moldova’s representatives on political issues in the 1+1 format will be held next week in Tiraspol.
