PMR Parliament: "Unwise to solve Pridnestrovie’s issues from Chisinau"

Speaker of Parliament Yevgeny Shevchuk, 39, doesn't believe in unilateral "solutions" imposed from the outside

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Parliamentary Speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk is open to setting up joint working groups with Moldova for solving individual issues of interest to both governments. Last week, Moldova already unilaterally created a total of seven working groups in Chisinau, without asking Pridnestrovie to participate in them and without asking for Pridnestrovie's opinions first.

The groups set up in the Republic of Moldova aim to implement the Moldovan regime's initiatives for Moldovan-Pridnestrovian conflict resolution.

In response to this, Shevchuk said that it was rather positive that statements made by the government of Moldova are not overtly aggressive in their nature.

In an earlier interview given in late October, Parliamentary Speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk warned that unilateral actions usually cause aggression. He urged Moldova to scrap a law on Pridnestrovie's future that was passed without any sort of consultation with Pridnestrovie. The young opposition leader said that future relations should be based on mutual respect between the two sides.

"Unwise" to solve Pridnestrovie's problems without Pridnestrovie's participation

According to the Speaker, the problems could be efficiently resolved in the buffer zone, in the area of the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian conflict, if Moldova would allow Pridnestrovie to also send its own representatives to the conflict resolution groups.

" - I think it is unwise to resolve Pridnestrovie’s issues sitting there in Chisinau. We still do not know in what areas the groups are specialized, or what their aims really are. We know that certain working groups were established earlier, specializing in the field of economy and other fields and they worked out a package of mutually agreed proposals, though these proposals are not implemented and aren't even mentioned anymore. Considering our previous experience, we can say that unilateral proposals are likely to be unconstructive and are likely to not have the result that our citizens expect, or that the gurantor-countries and the international community in general expect."

Too early to talk of peacekeeping changes

The 39 year old Speaker singled out Russian involvement in peacekeeping activities in the buffer zone. Russia is one of four countries contributing troops to a small multinational force of peacekeepers who have successfully ensured that current ceasefire has been kept. Since Moldova signed the ceasefire and ended its attacks against Pridnestrovie in 1992, no single life has been lost in the conflict, and the Moldovan military has abstained from any further incursions into Pridnestrovie's territory.

" - The government of the republic has always expressed their gratitude to Russia, first of all, to Russia’s citizens and peacekeepers who have always supported us not in words but in deeds, and who separated the conflicting parties here on the banks of the Dniester river. They are defenders of the life of both the Pridnestrovians and also defenders of the life of the Moldovan citizens living in the security zone, and that is why we are deeply grateful for the role they play in the territory of Pridnestrovie, of Moldova, and in the buffer zone."

Although Moldova has flouted suggestions for dismantling the peacekeeping effort - and, in effect, breaking the terms of the ceasefire agreement - Pridnestrovie's Speaker of Parliament firmly supports the current format of the peacekeeping operation in the buffer zone between Pridnestrovie and Moldova.

" - The tension in the buffer zone is still high, although the situation is under control. But I think we should not discuss any changes to the current format or withdrawal of peacekeeping forces since that doesn’t help to bring about conditions for stable progress in this situation. Of course, if the political situation and relations with Moldova were stable, and if we had a reliable way of guarantees to be overseen by the guarantor-countries, then we could discuss more simple procedures. But at this stage I frankly think it is too early to discuss any changes to the peacekeeping format."

A right to exist

According to Yevgeny Shevchuk, the inhabitants of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Pridnestrovie have already asserted their right to exist. But since they are not yet recognized by the international community, they are facing many of the same problems.

" - It is necessary to ensure the functioning of the state, to keep up certain social standards of living when the economic conditions are difficult and the economy is unable to support the state," said Yevgeny Shevchuk. Comparing Pridnestrovie to Abkhazia and to South Ossetia, he added: "We have similar problems with passports, border crossing, etc. That’s why at a certain stage the presidents of three states made a decision to establish the commonwealth to coordinate efforts, to achieve our shared goal: to obtain international recognition. We also have agreements to provide help to each other if necessary," Shevchuk said.

" - Recently, PMR's Parliament passed a decision to offer tax relief for transactions between companies from Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Pridnestrovie. We’re trying to promote economic integration between these three new republics. We understand that it is not easy for our colleagues and friends from Abkhazia and Ossetia to solve their economic problems, and nor is it easy for us," said Shevchuk, who is a firm believer in the power of free markets and open trade agreements to help bring prosperity to poorer countries.

" - I hope that our colleagues will follow our example and that together we can create a favorable environment, and that this will give a spur to economic cooperation between our states," said Shevchuk. Unlike Pridnestrovie, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are not yet offering tax incentives to local companies who trade with the other unrecognized states.

A fourth unrecognized country, Nagorno-Karabakh, has observer status in the Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations. Of these four unrecognized countries on the post-Soviet space, Pridnestrovie has a larger population than all the other three together. Pridnestrovie's economy is also stronger than the economies of the other three put together. On a per-capita basis, it is also stronger than some of the internationally recognized entities of the former Soviet Union, such as that of nearby Moldova, a proportionally poorer country.

See also:
» Yevgeny Shevchuk: "We want to treat each other with respect"
» Banning double citizenship widens gulf between Moldova and Transnistria