On 21 April the State Customs Committee (SCC) office hosted the meeting of the SCC officials with representatives of the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM). The meeting was organised through the mediation of Pridnestrovie's MFA. Pridenstrovie was represented by the SCC chairman, Yuri Gervazyuk, and his first deputy, Svetlana Klimenkova. The topic of the discussion was discrimination measures imposed by Ukraine on goods imported to Pridnestrovie.
Yuri Gervazyuk expressed gratitude to the EUBAM representatives for the willingness to directly cooperate with Pridnestrovie's customs authorities and aspiration to establish contacts between customs services of Pridnestrovie, Moldova and Ukraine. At the same time he admitted Pridnestrovie had faced a precipitous economic decline over the past year as a result of restrictions imposed by Moldova and Ukraine on Pridnestrovian cargoes. According to him, the implications of such actions are evident — transit of goods to Pridnestrovie via Ukraine has halved; trade turnover has decreased by 54% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period of last year.
Among the measures that are especially painful for the Pridnestrovian economy the SCC chief emphasised the ban on transportation of excisable tobacco and alcohol products through checkpoints at the Pridnestrovian and Ukrainian border. These restrictions were introduced pursuant to the decision of Ukraine's cabinet of ministers. According to Yuri Gervazyuk, this decision by the Ukrainian government violates international agreements that were signed between Pridnestrovie and Moldova through the mediation of Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE. «We see this decision as discriminatory towards Pridnestrovie and its population," he said.
When discussing the ways of releasing Pridnestrovie's foreign economic activity, the head of EUBAM Transnistrian Settlement Support Office, Rosario De Blasio said he understood concerns of the Pridnestrovian side. «I have nothing to say against it," he said. «I'd like to underscore we are here today to help to realise legitimate interests of businessmen. We are not talking politics today. Our efforts are aimed at the recommencement of cargo transportation through the Kuchurgan checkpoint.»
Having analysed the situation, the participants came to the conclusion that further task meetings involving representatives of all sides are required.
At the same time, the SCC chief said that several dozens of criminal cases initiated by Moldova's fiscal authorities against the Pridnestrovian economic agents could hardly contribute to the openness of communication. He noted the SCC as Pridnestrovie's governmental agency relies on the EU's constructive role and the EUBAM's fair and open approach to the settlement of economic and customs issues.
