Tiraspol, 30 March. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The meeting of the leaders of Pridnestrovie and Moldova lasted for over three hours. Pridnestrovian President Vadim Krasnoselsky assessed the dialogue as positive and expressed hope for its continuation. Summing up the meeting, Moldovan President Igor Dodon noted its importance.
The meeting focused on Moldova's plans to establish joint border and customs control with Ukraine near the Pridnestrovian border at the Kuchurgan crossing point. The Pridnestrovian side highlighted the entire list of risks this unilateral step will entail. To that effect, a special presentation was offered to the Moldovan colleagues, the press service of the Pridnestrovian president reports.
«We expressed concerns about the risks to the Pridnestrovian economy. They are very serious in financial terms and may result in job cuts," said Krasnoselsky.
Igor Dodon noted that he had taken into account Pridnestrovie's stance. «We do understand these concerns. My advisers will study all the risks. We will do our utmost to ensure the Pridnestrovian budget, economic agents and individuals will incur no losses. I hope our experts will work out these issues in the near future," the president of Moldova promised.
Commenting on the outcome of the meeting, the interlocutors touched upon the issues raised at the Bendery meeting on 4 January 2017.
«We have agreed that concrete steps will be taken in the near future at the expert level to address these issues in a practical way. We have formed in Moldova a common platform at the level of government, presidency and parliament to develop specific solutions on the part of Kishinev. We are studying the mechanisms and believe these concrete solutions can be discussed and finally adopted in the '5+2' format," said Dodon.
Among significant problems discussed at the meeting, according to Vadim Krasnoselsky, are the issues of telecommunication, railway traffic and other long-standing problems in the Pridnestrovian-Moldovan dialogue.
«There are really a lot of issues. I'd like them to be solved gradually — from small to large," said the Pridnestrovian president. He recalled the steps taken by the Pridnestrovian side to establish a constructive dialogue. In particular, it was highlighted that Pridnestrovie had unilaterally discontinued criminal cases against ten citizens of Moldova.
Another topic for discussion was the possibility of joint infrastructure projects with the involvement of international partners. This included the repair of the M14 and M21 motorways. The Pridnestrovian leadership supported this idea.
The sides also reached a consensus on the need for a joint solution to environmental problems, including those related to the Dniester's ecosystem — the river's bed needs dredging and cleaning.
In concluding the meeting, the two leaders expressed hope that a constructive dialogue would continue and that an atmosphere of trust would be built between the sides.
