Tiraspol, 16 June. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper talked to Pridnestrovie's foreign minister, Vitaly Ignatyev, about relations with Moldova and the results and prospects of negotiations on the Moldo-Pridnestrovian conflict.
Novosti Pridnestrovya cites some remarks by the Pridnestrovian diplomat.
On the results of the Berlin 5+2 meeting:
The last meeting of «The permanent conference…» in the 5+2 format reaffirmed the soundness of Pridnestrovie's stance on a whole range of problems in relations with Moldova. Moreover, Pridnestrovie's vision of the problem is shared by international participants in the negotiations. This chiefly applies to politically motivated criminal charges. Our Moldovan partners had long been denying the existence of this problem, but this time the Protocol on the results of the 5+2 meeting has embodied this issue.
In the near future, together with Moldovan representatives, we are to work out practical solutions to a number of problems, including in the spheres of education and motor transport. We have long been ready to this work. We have initiatives and projects, and we expect no less constructive proposals from our Molodvan colleagues.
On mediators in negotiations:
The mediation is one of the most important elements in any negotiations. Owing in many respects to the efforts by international mediators and, first of all, Russia and its «non-paper» proposals, the work of «The permanent conference…» in the 5+2 format has been renewed. I believe that if we manage to work out a mechanism securing the implementation of agreements already reached, mediators will assume additional functions, making a positive impact on the negotiation process.
On «small steps”:
All participants in the negotiation process realise the necessity of resolving pressing socio-economic issues, which directly affect citizen’s prosperity. These are the small steps that help to solve practical issues, rather than issue numerous political statements. As we can see, the protocol signed in Berlin fully embodies this conceptual approach.
On relations with Moldova, «unequal marriage” and «civilised divorce:
KP: Such a phrase as «civilised divorce» is often used to describe relations between Tiraspol and Kishinev. Is there a chance for happy married life?
Vitaliy Ignatyev: It is not, mildly speaking, appropriate to speak about «married life». Not a single day have the «spouses» lived together, if we speak about the latest historic period after 1990. As for the Soviet period, this period of sharing big «multifamily apartment» is hardly a legitimate ground for claiming a «hand and heart» — the territory, property, people and other integral parts of independent Pridnestrovie. Moreover, nobody has ever proposed an «equal marriage» to us. Moldova's approach to the settlement looks more like the fantasies of an elderly «fiancé" dreaming of a «concubine»! But the 26 years of independent «separate» life has proved the insolvency of both the «fiancé" and his pretensions. Why resurrect illusions?
