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Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie, was visited by U.S. Ambassador Michael Kirby for talks with government leaders

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - The United States wants status settlement negotiations between Moldova and Pridnestrovie to resume in the existing format, said the U.S. Ambassador to Moldova, Michael Kirby, after a visit to neighboring Pridnestrovie last Thursday.

In Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie, Ambassador Michael Kirby met with Valery Litskai, Pridnestrovie's Foreign Minister, and with Yevgeny Shevchuk, Speaker of Parliament.

The diplomat said his visit was necessary to establish direct contacts with the legislative and executive branches of Pridnestrovie's government. In thinly veiled criticism of Moldova's less-than-accurate briefings on Pridnestrovie, he said that the U.S. Embassy needs direct first hand information on the situation in the area.

During his meeting with PMR government leaders, Michael Kirby discussed possibilities of restarting the currently stalled talks between the sides and also talked about the new and emerging country's economic problems, including the economic blockade which was imposed against Pridnestrovie by Ukraine at Moldova's urging on 3 March 2006 and which has not yet been lifted.

Speaker of PMR's Parliament Yevgeny Shevchuk, left, met with visiting U.S. Ambassador Michael Kirby in Tiraspol, the capital of the new and emerging country.

" - We think that the parties should resume negotiations and restart a dialogue," said Michael Kirby. Like the European Union and Russia, the United States want direct talks between Chisinau and Tiraspol to start again as soon as possible. The current round of talks ended abruptly on the last day of February 2006 when Moldova unilaterally abandoned them, only to start its blockade later that same week. In a previous statement issued 22 March 2007, U.S. officials urged free trade to resume as soon as possible. A public declaration on the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian issue called for the abolishment of "all obstacles on the way to free movement of people, goods, and services."

PMR disappointed that Moldova broke its 1997 deal

Pridnestrovie's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Valery Litskai, met in the PMR Foreign Ministry in Tiraspol with the American Ambassador Kirby, and, according to an official statement, the two diplomats discussed a wide range of issues which above all centered on the process of Moldova-Pridnestrovie status settlement talks.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the conditions are not yet right for renewing the 5+2 talks in the current atmosphere.

" - A political dialogue cannot exist in an atmosphere of one of side exerting pressure on another, and breaking the terms of previously negotiated agreements," said Valery Litskai, referring to Moldova's blockade and its failure to honor the terms of a 1997 agreement which grants Pridnestrovie the right to independently conduct free foreign trade. It also prohibits the use of force, including economic pressure, and it finally says that Pridnestrovie gets the right to participate in all aspects of Moldovan foreign policy which affect Pridnestrovie in any way.

By starting its blockade in March of 2006, Moldova broke all three of these promises, says Pridnestrovie: The economic blockade amounts to pressure aimed at forcing a specific political result, it prevents free trade, and in agreeing to it with Ukraine - a foreign policy move that directly affects Pridnestrovie's interest - no one in Pridnestrovie was consulted first; thus violating the terms of the 1997 deal.

Nevertheless, both the U.S. Ambassador and the PMR Foreign Minister agreed that concrete steps needed to be taken now to create an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding where the two sides, Moldova and Pridnestrovie, can come together and honestly work out their differences. For Pridnestrovie, this starts with making sure that Moldova sticks to its word: If for nine years, between 1997 and 2006, Moldova observed a signed agreement under which it would not interfere with Pridnestrovie's right to free trade with other countries, then Pridnestrovie points out that this agreement is still in effect. It has not been rescinded by either of the two parties, and nothing changed in early 2006 that would all of a sudden force Moldova to no longer respect the previously agreed-upon terms.

" - It makes no sense that they allowed us to export for nine years, just as we could under the agreement," said one of Pridnestrovie's participants to blockade management talks. "And all of a sudden they turn around and, totally unprovoked, try to shut us down."

Pridnestrovie says that if Moldova can't be trusted to keep its word on the existing agreements between the sides, then there's little hope that it will live up to its end of any future agreements that the two sides might reach in coming discussions.

Tiraspol happy with openness and visit by US Ambassador

After meeting with Michael Kirby, Speaker of Parliament Yevgeny Shevchuk called the meeting constructive.

" - Thanks to the Ambassador for his visit to the city of Tiraspol and for his visit to Parliament. Of course, we should have a dialogue in order to learn to listen to each other and to solve problems," said the native-born Shevchuk, 39.

The press service of PMR's parliament reported that issues of human rights protection, the situation in the economy and agriculture, and possibilities of cooperation between the USA and Pridnestrovie in the field of culture were discussed during the meeting.

Yevgeny Shevchuk also said that the Pridnestrovians face difficulties both as an unrecognized state and also because of economic pressure tactics by Moldova that led to the worsening of the social and economic situation in the small republic. While speaking of fundamental human rights, he told the American Ambassador that "one should not forget about the right of a people to be free from poverty and to develop freely."

In Tiraspol, elected leaders were happy with the openness for dialogue shown by the visit of the U.S. Ambassador. Both sides expressed their hope that the meetings would become a regular and repeated occurrence.

See also:
» End of customs blockade? US wants free movement of goods and services [1]
» Clampdown on free trade causes economic hardship [2]