Tiraspol, January 9. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The political representative of Moldova in the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian negotiation process, Oleg Serebryan, did not offer a clear answer to the questions raised regarding the innovations in the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova and what they could turn out to be for the inhabitants of Pridnestrovie. This is stated in the comment on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PMR.
As noted, the Foreign Ministry received a note from the Moldovan political representative. However, it has a "formal run-around nature." And this only confirms that the concern Pridnestrovie is justified.
Recall that at the end of 2022, the Moldovan Parliament adopted in the first reading a bill introducing eight new articles into the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova, including “Separatism” and “Conspiracy against Moldova”, as well as several new concepts (“anti-constitutional subject”, “illegal information structure"). Legal experts suggested that the amendments could be directed, among other things, against the inhabitants of Pridnestrovie.
On December 27, at a meeting of the commission of the Supreme Council of the PMR on foreign policy and international relations, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pridnestrovie, Vitaly Ignatiev, said that he had addressed Oleg Serebryan with a demand to give an exhaustive explanation of the bill.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PMR notes that the response letter of the political representative of the Republic of Moldova not only lacks clear answers but also contains "accusatory slogans against Pridnestrovie that have nothing to do with reality."
“This gives grounds to assume that Chisinau's actions will not be limited to legislative changes and may entail serious risks of destroying the existing international negotiating mechanism within the framework of the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian settlement,” the Foreign Ministry said in a commentary.
In these circumstances, the Pridnestrovian side expects that the international participants in the 5 + 2 negotiation format will join in and prevent the use of hostile measures by the Republic of Moldova, which constitutes another threat to the peaceful settlement of relations between Pridnestrovie and Moldova.
“We expect a substantive public reaction and specific measures of political and diplomatic response from the participants in the negotiation process, including the current chairmanship in the OSCE. Once again, we warn the Moldovan side against reckless and short-sighted actions that pose a threat to the citizens of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and provoke tension in relations between the parties,” the PMR MFA comment emphasizes.
It should be noted that North Macedonia has assumed the chairmanship of the OSCE since the beginning of 2023.
