​PRESIDENT DODON OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TRANSNISTRIAN CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Moldova President Igor Dodon has stated that there are good prerequisites for settling the Transnistrian conflict.

In the course of his traditional weekly online Q&A communication with citizens held every Friday, the President remarked that he had confirmed this once again in his address to the online General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly held at the UN headquarters in New York on September 23.

“And we shall continue moving in this direction. We will work out basic principles [of Transnistrian conflict settlement]. We should not rather disclose all details for the time being. First we must discuss everything with the Transnistrian side and, certainly, with all sides concerned in the 5+2 negotiating format”, said Dodon.

The President explained that first it is necessary to determine “general things for an integral state – borders, judiciary system, banking system, economy etc.’

“And then – things that remain on the local level. Like in the case with Gagauzia, for Transnistria we should also determine the distribution of plenary powers [between the central government in Chisinau and the regional authorities]. We will necessarily discuss all this with the Transnistrian administration elected by the region’s residents. This question can only be solved through dialog”, stressed the Moldovan President.

In his words, the draft of such a document will be worked out in Chisinau in the nearest future: “This document must be prepared not in Moscow, Washington or Brussels but in Chisinau. This must be our, Moldovan draft to be agreed on inside our country as well as with our external partners. And after that we will start moving in the said direction”.

Dodon expressed regret that the Transnistrian administration has extended until December 1 the restrictive measures prohibiting citizens’ entering the Transnistrian region and leaving it.

“I am greatly disappointed with this decision. We are working in this direction, and the OSCE Mission to Moldova is working as well. We hope a solution will be achieved in the nearest time”, said Dodon.

Three weeks ago, the President stated that he would discuss this problem in a telephone talk with Transnistria leader Vadim Krasnoselsky. However, such talk failed to be held. This week, on Krasnoselsky’s proposal the Transnistrian supreme soviet [regional parliament] decided to extend until December 1, the prohibition of the freedom of movement “due to aggravation of the epidemiological situation”.

Addressing the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly last Wednesday, Igor Dodon stated that the draft of the basic parameters and principles of the Transnistrian conflict settlement would be presented in the nearest future.