CRISTINA LESNIC: DIALOG BETWEEN CHISINAU AND TIRASPOL HAS CHANGED DURING PANDEMIC

Moldova’s Special Representative for Transnistria negotiations, Deputy Prime Minister for Country Reintegration Cristina Lesnic believes that the nature of the dialog between Chisinau and Tiraspol has changed during the pandemic period.

She stated during a video debate that the pandemic changed the negotiations and revealed new circumstances of the parties.

“It refers to the stability of the dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol. After the beginning o the pandemic crisis and introduction of the state of emergency in Moldova, the region was isolated. The Moldovan authorities’ decisions should apply to the entire territory, but Transnistria has introduced its own mirror measures”, she said.

According to her, after the introduction of the state of emergency the nature of the dialogue at the level of working groups, including on preparing for countering the spread of the virus has changed.

The self-isolation of the Transnistrian region under the pretext of the pandemic began in mid-April, and now it is extended till June 15. The situation is associated with restricted access to the region both for the economic agents and officials. Let me remind you that there are 320 thousand Moldovan people living in the region, who are physically deprived to access to services on the right bank of the Dniester”, she added.

Lesnic claims that Chisinau received refusal from Tiraspol to attend a meeting of the working group on healthcare several times.

Deputy Prime Minister called statements made by Tiraspol on blocking import of medicines to the region by Chisinau “propaganda and lies”, since their import with the certificate of the Agency for Medicines doubled during the pandemic.