Tiraspol, December 27. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The PMR Supreme Council Commission on Foreign Policy and International Relations today decided to apply to the Moldovan Parliament with a statement regarding new amendments to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova. Pridnestrovian parliamentarians intend to urge their Moldovan colleagues not to accept these amendments in the final reading.
Recall that recently the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova approved a bill introducing eight new articles to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova in the first reading, including “Separatism” and “Conspiracy against Moldova”. Also, the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova introduces such concepts as “anti-constitutional subject”, “self-proclaimed power” and “illegal information structure”. According to legal experts, all this can be directed against Pridnestrovie, in particular, representatives of law enforcement and state structures of the PMR.
“We hope that common sense will prevail and this law will not be adopted in the second reading,” Galina Antyufeeva, Deputy Chairman of the PMR Supreme Council, said today.
In a conversation with journalists, she said that at a meeting of the parliamentary commission, Pridnestrovie's possible response measures were also discussed if changes to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova are nevertheless approved. “Retaliatory measures will be taken in order to protect the rights of our citizens,” Galina Antyufeeva added.
The Vice Speaker emphasized that all issues in relations between Tiraspol and Chisinau should be resolved through diplomacy, within the framework of the negotiation process, and this should be done for the sake of improving the lives of people in both Pridnestrovie and Moldova.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PMR Vitaly Ignatiev told the members of the Commission that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already sent an official request regarding the new bill to the political representative of Moldova, Oleg Serebryan.
“We demanded from the Moldovan side to give a comprehensive explanation of those changes in the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova that can be adopted. We see them as a very serious threat to peace, security and the negotiation process,” Vitaly Ignatiev said.
He drew attention to the fact that the amendments to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova appeared "against the background of stagnation and degradation of the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian dialogue." The Pridnestrovian Foreign Minister recalled that a similar bill had already been submitted to the Moldovan Parliament in 2014, but it was not finally approved then.
