Tiraspol, 19 July. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The full text of the statement by the chairman of the Pridnestrovian government is as follows:
«Today the presidential administration and government have held meetings with the involvement of a number of business entities regarding the railway importation of cargoes to Pridnestrovie.
«To date the movement of import cargoes through the Kuchurgan Export and Slobodka Export stations has been blocked. In this connection the delivery of a range of socially important goods, fuels and oils to Pridnestrovie is impossible, which may provoke a fuel crisis within the next few weeks. The importation of other goods is significantly hampered by the ungrounded necessity of passing customs clearance with the Moldovan authorities, a repeated rise in tariffs and a poor state of Moldova's rolling stock.
«The decision made by the leadership of the Moldovan and Ukrainian railways is politically motivated, violates the agreement of the negotiation process and is regarded by the Pridnestrovian side as an attempt to establish full control of railway importation and bring it under Moldova's jurisdiction. Such measures are elements of the economic war waged against Pridnestrovie, which aimed at the state's economic security and its citizens' prosperity. These are medieval measures which do not correspond to the principles of a contemporary civilised dialogue.
«Throughout the year the Pridnestrovian side has been using political and diplomatic methods to ensure stable importation of goods to Pridnestrovie, but all constructive proposals were ignored by Moldovan representatives. The Ukrainian authorities, in turn, refused in principle to have any contact with Pridnestrovie on this issue.
«Under such circumstances Pridnestrovie will have to take adequate measures to make our Ukrainian and Moldovan colleagues return to negotiations. It is of no use employing the language of blackmail and threat against us. Today I have charged a number of relevant agencies with taking as soon as possible customs, tariff and non-tariff measures, tightening safety regulations for Moldovan and Ukrainian engines. We are studying the possibility of raising one more time tariff rates on the so-called «Romanian transit», as well as introducing additional customs control over transit cargoes moving through the territory of Pridnestrovie.
«Pridnestrovie openly declares it will not allow the infringement of the interests of the Pridnestrovian railway and the country's enterprises. We will keep in contact with Pridnestrovie's enterprises, public organisations, national communities and inform them on the current developments to mobilise the public into resolving common tasks aimed at protecting state interests.
«Along with it, we are open to continuing a dialogue with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, provided such interest arises at last, over a whole spectre of railway issues based on sound sense and mutual interests.
«The railway is an important lifeline used for transporting goods by many states. And if someone has decided to take advantage of the situation by infringing the interests of the Pridnestrovian side, I can assure you this is a deadlock. If a destructive element is deliberately put into this system, if the interests of one of participants are infringed, those who make such decisions must be ready to bear responsibility for the implications.»
