Civil society seeks a voice in settlement dialogue

Closed door: OSCE refused to open the door to hear from Pridnestrovie's youth

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Seeking to make its voice heard in the settlement talks over Moldova's territorial claim to Pridnestrovie, the political party Breakthrough (Proriv, in Russian) attempted to deliver a letter to the Tiraspol-based office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE.

In the letter, Pridnestrovie's youth expressed hope for the continued freedom and independence of its nation and called upon the OSCE to respect the sovereignty and statehood of Pridnestrovie. But despite having a full office staff inside, no one from the OSCE would answer the door or receive the letter in person.

The group's spokesperson, Alena Arshinova, declared:
" - Today, we are finding yet another door slammed shut in the face of the people. But look at Pridnestrovie objectively, and you will see that we have a fair and reasonable claim. There is no need to escalate conflict or refuse dialogue. Just listen to the voice of the Pridnestrovian people."

Claim doesn't square with reality

The closed door of the OSCE office in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovie, is seen - rightly or wrongly - by many in the young country as a symbolism of the international organization's unwillingness to engage in dialogue with the people of Pridnestrovie.

When dialogue exists, the critics say, it is based on the premise of a Moldovan territorial claim which doesn't square with reality. Instead, Pridnestrovie's negotiators have put alternative proposals forward but the OSCE has shown itself incapable of thinking outside the box. According to Breakthrough, so far Pridnestrovie's legitimate rights have not been given the proper consideration that they deserve ... as the photo of OSCE's closed door in this news article shows.

Pridnestrovie - also known unofficially as Transnistria - declared independence in 1990. Moldova refuses to accept the declaration and fought a brief war in 1992 to gain sovereignty over the young and emerging country. Since that date, the two sides have been in settlement talks, with Pridnestrovie insisting on the legality of its independence declaration under international law and actively governing its country as a de facto state which is fully independent of Moldova.