RUSSIAN DEPUTY PREMIER AND TIRASPOL LEADER AGREE UPON KEY ISSUES OF TRANSNISTRIAN ECONOMY FUNCTIONING

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, President Vladimir Putin’s Special Representative for the development of trade and economic relations with the Republic of Moldova, and Transnistria president Vadim Krasnoselsky have reached an accord on topical questions of Transnistrian economy functioning, the two officials stated to the local press after their meeting held in Tiraspol on Tuesday.

Kozak said the parties had discussed essential questions pertaining to the social sphere, the methodology of the organizational and material assistance, which Russia can render to let Transnistria residents feel comfortable and secure – to an extent possible in the current conditions”.

The representative Russian delegation, which included also Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs – State Secretary Grigory Karasin, First Deputy Minister of Finance Leonid Gornin, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Moldova, Oleg Vasnetsov, Director of the Russian Gazprom Concern’s Representation at Moldova Gennady Abashkin, Director General of the Inter RAO-Export Maxim Sergeyev, was warmly welcomed by the Transnistria leadership at the entry to Bendery [a major city situated on the right, “Moldovan’ Dniester River side, but remaining under Transnistria’s control]. Their visit to Transnistria began from an excursion to the region’s Military-Historic Memorial Complex and was continued in the Official Receptions House in Tiraspol.

Welcoming the Russian guests, president Vadim Krasnoselsky called Dmitry Kozak’s visit to be very important for Transnistria, stressing that so many urgent problems have accumulated that require to be urgently tackled “at the highest level”.

“Transnistria’s interaction with the Russian Federation has always been a multi-vector one. I would highlight first of all our cooperation in the sphere of peacekeeping. This is a direction very important for us – the preservation of the Russian military presence. Me as president and the people of Transnistria, we do not separate the Russian peacekeepers from the Operational Group of Russian Forces [OGRV] deployed in the Transnistria”, said Krasnoselsky.

The second important direction Krasnoselsky mentioned was a politico-diplomatic interaction.

“The Russian Federation is an important partner, mediator and guarantor of our relationship with Moldova. And the progress we are observing in the negotiation process is taking place thanks essentially to the Russian side. Besides this, Transnistria and Russia develop economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation”, said the Tiraspol leader.

In his words, this whole block of questions was on the Tuesday’s agenda and was duly negotiated.

“The questions most topical for the citizens of the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic [PMR] are: an accelerated receipt of the Russian citizenship; the using of the Russian ‘maternity capital’ in the PMR territory; realization of a number of important social projects etc. We have discussed all these issues, and have reached an understanding how to move on. I am convinced that by working hard we will achieve what we have planned”, said Vadim Krasnoselsky.

Dmitry Kozak said that the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic has been in a complicated situation due to the unresolved question of its legal status, and the region needs support.

“For nearly 3 decades, Russia has been rendering support to Transnistria because it is home to our citizens, our compatriots who need it. Russia actively participates in the negotiations on settling the Moldo-Transnistrian problem. There is no more conflict thanks to the peacekeeping mission, including from the Russian part”, said the Deputy Prime Minister.

In Kozak’s words, there are some current problems in the work of the 5+2 negotiating format that cannot be resolved by virtue of Transnistria’s geographical location but can be solved only in the process of negotiations with Chisinau.

“They are being solved. Last several years, some of these social and economic questions were settled, and we will be further participating actively in this process – until its final settlement”, assured the Deputy Prime Minister.

Touching on the problem of receiving by Transnistrians of the Russian citizenship, Dmitry Kozak said: “We will tackle this question together with our Foreign Ministry, and will achieve a solution. All the people who have the right for the citizenship must be given a possibility to acquire it. We shall be doing this. The main problem is in indistinct rules and in a wrong interpretation of regulations on acceptance of documents and so forth. This is not a political problem. Russia’s political stance is: all the rights guaranteed by the law must be realized”.