Tiraspol, 5 September. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The Pridnestrovian foreign minister, Vitaly Ignatyev, has called today's meeting of the expert council, during which Pridnestrovie's current situation was discussed, «shirtsleeve dialogues». The famed Israeli publicist Avigdor Eskin took part in the meeting as an invited expert.
The pundit has come to Pridnestrovie today and is going to study the situation in the country and the negotiating process as a whole.
The foreign minister outlined the foreign policy situation around Pridnestrovie. The diplomat underscored that the pace of the negotiating process with Moldova was very slow, with the problems being multiplied rather than solved. In the meantime, Kishinev was blocking the possibility of «5+2» meetings. «The Permanent meeting…» was last held in June 2016, which resulted in the signing of the Berlin Protocol. But all of its seven provisions were not implemented. Pridnestrovie does not like such a situation.
«Unfortunately, we have so far witnessed that our political and diplomatic potential, including the 'Permanent conference…', is blocked. The Austrian OSCE chairmanship-in-office has already worked nine months, but there is no progress in the negotiating process. There are excuses, but we think they are contrived because, objectively, nothing prevents '5+2' meetings from being held," said the minister.
Vitaly Ignatyev recalled that the special representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office, Wolf Dietrich Heim, was expected to come to Pridnestrovie on 7−8 September The diplomat expressed the hope that visit would yield concrete results.
«But judging by the position of the official Kishinev, there are no signals they are ready to seek compromise solutions. You know that the Pridnestrovian president has proposed the Moldovan leader to jointly appeal to the OSCE chairman-in-office with a request to hold an early meeting in the '5+2' format in order to engage its entire potential as a mediator to enhance external participation and solve the problems. Unfortunately, such joint appeal has yet to be made. The Moldovan side has not responded to this initiative," said the Pridnestrovian diplomat.
According to the minister, the most pressing topics for our country today are motor transport and railway issues, telecommunication and interbank cooperation problems. But the most serious challenge to the entire negotiating process and regional stability in general was the unilateral decision of Moldova and Ukraine to establish customs and border control at the Pridnestrovian border at Ukraine's Kuchurgan-Pervomaysk checkpoint.
«This joint post has already started its work. The Moldovan side is not concealing its further plans to establish such control on the entire perimeter of the Pridnestrovian-Ukrainian border. We consider this measure to be inadequate and may entail a number of problems for our economy, additional difficulties and losses for our economic agents," said Ignatyev, noting that measures should be taken to prevent the situation from escalating. In this regard, Pridnestrovie needs the support of the experts who understand what the aggravation of regional situation may result in.
Avigdor Eskin expressed his view on the unilateral decision of Moldova and Ukraine to establish a customs and border post at the Pridnestrovian-Ukrainian border.
«If they asked me, I'd advise them not to do it. But I'm afraid Ukraine would rather ignore my opinion, and even to the contrary. Seriously speaking, there is currently certain pressure, a certain change in the status quo that used to be. This requires special mobilisation, reflection, active steps on your part. There is no other way," the expert believes.
Avigdor Eskin noted that he indented to study the situation in a few days and would be ready to propose «a couple of dozen steps» that would help to improve the negotiating process and affect the overall situation.
Irina Iordanova.
