TRANSNISTRIAN MOTORISTS DISCONTENTED THAT FOR GOING ABROAD THEY ARE DEMANDED TO PRODUCE MOLDOVAN DOCUMENTS

Transnistrian minister of foreign affairs Vitaly Ignatiev, the region’s chief negotiator at talks with Chisinau, stated on the regional television on Monday night that at his Tuesday’s meeting with his Moldovan colleague Alexandru Flenchea he would raise the problem of foreign travelling faced by Transnistrian motorists.

According to the official Transnistrian television channel, Moldovan border guards have begun demanding from Transnistrian motorists at their leaving the Republic of Moldova territory, even at going to the neighbor Ukraine, a standard international-type vehicle license [aka ‘technical passport’ locally] and international driving licenses issued by Moldova or any other recognized state. Transnistria representatives pointed out that until the last day of 2019, there were no such problems at travelling to Ukraine.

The Moldovan Border Police has confirmed that, really, starting from January 10 Transnistrian motorists are eligible to travel outside the Republic of Moldova only on motor vehicles bearing neutral-design license plates, with the sticker MD on the windshield, and with official Moldovan vehicle documents on hands.

The Transnistrian authorities regard the Chisinau’s new requirements to be a violation of previous accords, in particular of the 2018 Protocol on the participation of Transnistrian motor vehicles in the international road traffic.

Chisinau representatives disagree with this. In their words, the Protocol does not say anything about driving licenses, “which must necessarily be of the official standard type and issued by a recognized state”.