THREE MOLDOVAN FARMERS GOT THE RIGHT TO CULTIVATE THEIR LANDS IN TRANSNISTRIA

First Moldovan farmers received certificates on temporary registration for the right to use the land behind the Tiraspol-Camenca road in Dubasari raion of Transnistria.

According to the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan republic (PMR) ministry of foreign affairs, the official ceremony of documents handing over took place in Dubasari on Thursday. The certificates were handed over to first three farmers by Moldovan and Transnistrian representatives for political issues Cristina Lesnic and Vitaly Ignatiev.

The event became a new stage of implementing the Protocol decision on several measures on regulating the issues, connected with the using of agricultural lands in Dubasari raion.

“I believe that the agreement, achieved by us had a difficult compromise character, but there are parameters of protocol we signed on November 25, 2017 and we will be fulfilling the undertaken liabilities, just as the Moldovan side, I hope”, said Ignatiev while welcoming the ceremony participants.

He said that necessary corrections of some parameters have been conducted, in particular, in relation to the extending the term of using lands in condition of harvesting the crops by Transnistrian land users, who sowed these lands before.

“I think this is a great step forward. Negotiations were difficult. I hope very much that this will help resolving the issues, connected with the interests of ordinary people, economic agents, farmers and landowners in general”, the diplomat said.

The Moldovan Bureau for Reintegration covered the event more modestly. However, it said that certificates guarantee to farmers the right to use 400 ha of land for a period of 20 years, starting from August 1.

As Infotag has already reported, the problem of arguable lands appeared in 1999, when Transnistrian customs officers began to prevent Moldovan farmers from crossing the road and cultivating their lands. Besides, farmers were obliged to pay taxes and fees for the exported harvest. As a result, many renounced the land cultivation. It is about approximately 6.3 thousand ha of agricultural lands, owned by 5.6 thousand owners who have corresponding documents, issued by Moldova.

The problem of farmers’ access to their lands is one of those Moldova is raising at all the platforms in the Transnistrian settlement. At the meeting on November 25, 2017, Moldovan and Transnistrian political representatives signed a Protocol decision on some measures for settling the issues, connected with the using of agricultural lands.

For its fulfillment, the Transnistrian government adopted a decree on February 2, according to which for cultivating lands, physical and legal persons from the villages of Dorotcoe, Pirita, Cosnita, Pohrebea, Cocieri, Malovata Noua, Vasilievca have to get a certificate from the raion administration on the basis documents, established by the Transnistrian agriculture and foreign ministries.

The simplified registration of land users and the issuing of the certificate is implemented for free within 30 days since the day of addressing and document presentation.

In accordance with the decree, Moldovan citizens who have lands in the territory of Dubasari raion of Transnistria can cultivate these for a period of 5 years and export the harvest on the basis of certificates.