TRANSNISTRIAN PARLIAMENT SPECIFIES ESCALATION BY MOLDOVA OF TENSION IN SECURITY ZONE

The Supreme Soviet of the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldavian Republic made a statement on Wednesday "in connection with the escalation of tension in the Security Zone (SZ) by the Republic of Moldova".

It expressed "serious concern about the degradation of existing levels of dialogue between Transnistria and the Republic of Moldova due to the irresponsible steps of official Chisinau."

Transnistrian deputies believe that "the quarantine-sanitary posts of Transnistria operating in the pandemic situation are functioning as intended and do not constitute a threat to maintaining stability in the SZ and beyond."

In this regard, the Supreme Soviet calls on the Moldovan authorities to "abandon unscrupulous interpretations and attempts to distort and discredit the Transnistrian side's efforts to counteract the spread of coronavirus infection".

"Transnistria appeals to the Moldovan side to return to an adequate substantive dialogue with Transnistria with the goal of fulfilling its obligations in the international negotiation process as soon as possible, to exclude any form of politicization of pandemic counteraction and provocative attacks against a peacekeeping operation that has proved to be effective," the statement said.

Its authors called on the international participants in the "5+2" negotiation format "to pay attention to the destructive approaches of the Moldovan side and to intensify efforts to promote systemic dialogue and return of Moldova to the negotiating table".

Earlier, the Moldovan authorities announced that they insisted on the removal of 37 checkpoints established by Tiraspol in the Security Zone on the Nistru unilaterally, without coordination with the participants of the "5+2" format. President Igor Dodon said he will insist on this during an upcoming meeting in late July with Transnistrian leader Vadim Krasnoselsky.