Tiraspol, 24 December. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Today, when opening the traditional year-end press conference, the president congratulated journalists on Constitution Day and also mentioned that four years before almost at that very time (25 December) Pridnestrovie had held the presidential election.
According to Yevgeniy Shevchuk, the year of 2015 was influenced by two major factors — «foreign economic and changing political attitude towards Pridnestrovie, first of all, on the part of Ukraine».
«Another neighbour of ours, the Republic of Moldova, has not managed to reach a sufficient level of political stability this year, which has led to a difficult situation in the negotiation process," said the president.
He recalled the audience that in 2015 «the country faced a change in relations with our strategic partner — Ukraine, which has affected Pridnestrovie's economy and the work of local businesses.»
«There emerged additional security risks. I want to remind you that in spring 2015 Ukraine's mass media began to disseminate rumours that Pridnestrovie was preparing an attack on Ukraine. They were periodically repeated even by high-ranking officials. Therefore, at the beginning of 2015 the existing risk set new tasks before Pridnestrovie," said Yevgeny Shevchuk.
The president emphasised that «the year of 2015 was the year of new risks and challenges the country has generally coped with.»
«We have managed to maintain socio-economic stability, and, despite criticism, election campaign and rabid media attacks, we are nearing the year's end, having paid off almost all pension arrears and avoided the devaluation of national currency. Under the current circumstances, we have also provided a large section of population with cheaper food products. During the year we have been maintaining low tariffs for utility services for all categories of population. Today the level of income in Pridnestrovie is not lower than in Moldova or Ukraine, and basic parameters of socio-economic stability are even better. This is a very important outcome of 2015," underscored the president, adding that «we have also enhanced the military readiness of the Pridnestrovian army by fitting it up and creating prerequisites for increasing its efficiency.»
