Tiraspol, October 25. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. In the Official Reception House, a meeting of the PMR Ministry of Foreign Affairs leadership with 14 countries foreign ministries representatives - members of the European Union was held. Welcoming diplomats, PMR Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev called such meetings extremely useful for understanding the current situation in the negotiation process between Pridnestrovie and Moldova. He thanked the embassies and representative offices of European states for the work they were doing on the track of the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian settlement.
The meeting of diplomats was held behind closed doors. After its completion, Vitaly Ignatiev commented on the main results.
Particular attention was paid to the implementation of agreements in the negotiation process. They spoke, in particular, about the results of the Bratislava round of the meeting in the 5 + 2 format, which, according to the PMR Foreign Minister, ended with a pause.
“The Moldavian side refused to sign two versions of the final protocols. The main problem and the main question to our partners is why this is happening and what will be the next. We answered this question. It is very simple. Chisinau does not fulfill its obligations. If this practice continues, if new problems are created, the situation will continue to degrade,” Vitaly Ignatiev said. One of the latest problems on the Moldovan side was the blocking of Pridnestrovian enterprises accounts in the Republic of Moldova banks, as well as the aggravation of the situation in the Security Zone due to the illegal establishment of a quarry by a Moldovan businessman.
European diplomats were reminded that the blockade of Pridnestrovie by Moldova had taken place before. “Some Moldovan colleagues destroyed the negotiation process, and today they are again engaging in dialogue with Pridnestrovie. I would not really like such situation again,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized.
At the meeting, they spoke about speculations on the existence of plans for the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian settlement. “We convinced our partners that there can be no plans other than those agreed with Pridnestrovie. We have had Berlin + plan long. This is a Roadmap that the Moldovan side has not been being able fulfill for four years. So, there are problems either with the powers of a political representative, or with a change in the Chisinau paradigm. Maybe they want to get out of the negotiation process. There are serious issues. I hope that our partners will address them to the Moldovan side,” the head of the Foreign Ministry said.
Today, European diplomats had the opportunity to familiarize with the presentation “Implementation of the Berlin + Package and Actual Problems of the Negotiation Process” prepared by the PMR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to Vitaly Ignatiev, the content of the document raised no questions. “Many people understand what is happening. It is important to ensure that the situation does not worsen,” the Minister said. He expressed hope that with the assistance of international partners, it would be possible to maintain stability in Moldovan-Pridnestrovian relations.
Vitaly Ignatiev said that the Moldovan side also received a presentation of “Berlin +”. “They studied it, and we know about a certain reaction. Negotiations should be as transparent as possible and as always take place in international format. For us, the implementation of agreements is fundamentally important. It is necessary to understand at what stage we are, what issues are open, and which are closed,” the PMR Foreign Minister said. The paradigm defined by the Berlin Protocol remains relevant today: the phased solution of social, humanitarian and economic issues with the subsequent transition to more difficult and complex ones. This paradigm is supported by all participants in the negotiation process, including the European Union, Vitaly Ignatiev recalled.
In general, the Minister assessed the relations between Pridnestrovie and the EU as positive and having a long history. One of the important points of the dialogue is the special Pridnestrovie trade regime with the EU countries, which is recognized as extremely effective.
