Yevgeny Shevchuk: "Division won't lead to a worse situation and destabilization"

"- In Europe there are a number of divisions which did not lead to a worse situation and destabilization," says Yevgeny Shevchuk

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - In an interview given to the BBC European Affairs Correspondent, PMR Parliamentary Speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk expresses his hope for a peaceful, civilized divorce between Moldova and Pridnestrovie. He gives other European examples of where this has already happened successfully and says that these splits did not lead to a worsening of the situation or to destabilization. According to Shevchuk, who was born in Pridnestrovie, the decisions were based on the will of citizens and didn’t affect the security in those regions. On the contrary, he says, the civilized divorces helped reduce confrontation and conflict, helping avoid serious tensions.

Is there a risk of a new war breaking out?

" - I hope that all that happened in South Ossetia on August 8 will not happen in Pridnestrovie and will never happen again. I think high tolerance of the people of Pridnestrovie and Moldova, high tolerance of guarantor states and parties to negotiations will allow to prevent the bloodshed. At least, we, the Pridnestrovians, share this hope."

"Nevertheless, we can’t deny that the reasons for the 1992 conflict are still alive and the situation has even worsened to some extent. That’s why there are peacekeepers in Pridnestrovie to not allow the conflict to enter the most negative stage - a war."

What is the next step ahead for everyone?

" - Now we’ve entered a complicated stage of the political settlement. The guarantor states, first of all Russia, are making efforts to find a solution within the negotiation framework. Probably, there will be solutions requiring further discussion. I think in the near future the talks will be launched to find compromise solutions, though we’ve already been offered various solutions including those developed within the framework of the commitments that Pridnestrovie has under the 1997 memorandum on building the common state. Different schemes, including the federation and the confederation were developed within the framework of this Memorandum."

"But we must take decisions considering the will of people living here. I do not want to dwell on the grounds, history, but we have the referendum results that are well-known to everyone. Over the last 7 years there’s been a serious confrontation in the economic and informational spheres, the diplomatic relations."

"We see that the Moldovan government has a very tough insistence on a settlement based on the so-called autonomy of Pridnestrovie, a scheme approved unilaterally. It won’t do for us. So, perhaps, the efforts of the guarantor countries, participating countries and the negotiation process will focus on the development and consideration of any other formula. Now is difficult to suggest how. Again, I say that these are issues to be discussed at the negotiating table. And we will be able to discuss any changes in the positions of the parties when such proposals will be moved at the negotiating table. Now, considering the current situation in the negotiating process, we emphasize the need to take into account the decision of the people expressed at the referendum, and the 18-year history of relations between Moldova and Pridnestrovie."

Would it be best to just split?

" - In Europe there are a number of illustrative examples of the division, which did not lead to a worsening of the situation and destabilization. For example, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Montenegro and Serbia. There, decisions were based on the will of citizens. It didn’t affect the security in that region. On the contrary, it helped to reduce confrontation and conflict between people and ruling elites at the time allowed to avoid the serious tension. The leaders of those states avoided such an approach as “to seize the territory at any cost” and their decisions were based on the popular will. We moved numerous proposals to the international organizations to monitor our referendums. We even proposed to hold early elections to parliament so that to avoid accusations of “seizing powers” but we proposed it on condition that the referendum results – the will of our people – are taken into consideration when making decisions on settlement."

What role do you envision for Russia?

" - We see Russia first of all as a guarantor country in the Moldova-Pridnestrovie settlement, the country that stopped the bloodshed here, in Pridnestrovie. Russia is a state not allowing the humanitarian crisis to happen here. Russia has international commitments. It is first of all committed to facilitating the negotiations, the guarantor state urges us to meet at the negotiating table and we may see that Russia is making progressive steps trying to do its best in its attempt to paste together the pieces that have never been together. The Russian side facilitates the conditions for restarting negotiations, promoting dialogue and finding solutions."

"I’d like to note that Russia’s peacekeepers ensure security not only of the people of Pridnestrovie but of the citizens of Moldova residing in the security zone. I think until the conflict is not settled there’s no need to discuss the issue on withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers or replacing them with other forces in order not to break the today’s fragile peace. I would also like to emphasize that the limited, small contingent of peacekeepers represented by a group of Russian troops is not great in number and may not be a threat to anyone considering the number of peacekeepers and their equipment. It poses no threat to the neighboring states, as some have written."

How can the two sides build trust and confidence?

" - Every time we ask the Russians and our partners involved in the talks whom to integrate with. On what principles? And what are the conditions, what are the prospects? We have no answer to most of these questions. We are confident that if for 18 years our partners in Chisinau have followed other principles - the principles of co-development, co-creating the conditions for economic development and prosperity of particular areas of social life - may be, we’ll have more fruitful platform for this dialogue. But after we experienced the railroad traffic, communications and border blockade, when the Moldovan leadership initiated restrictions to the movement across the border, all the contacts were broken off, it is difficult to think that any other positive steps could be taken, except what we already have."

"I have my doubts that our partners in Chisinau would compromise and propose any other acceptable schemes. If we and our partners will act according to all the earlier statements than the situation would be clear to everybody. Everything will be clear and we’ll have definite and final answers to most of our questions."

Can the international community play a constructive role?

" - If the international community and the countries striving for the settlement of the conflict have a fair approach to the situation, it will facilitate development of new solutions."

"I’d like to stress that we support the observance of all the procedures, generally recognized principles of international law in the field of human rights and protection of personal freedom. We want the people to express their will freely. As the EU members states and nations decide on integration with the EU, so other states should have integration opportunities as well, including on the post-Soviet space. I don't think this would pose any sort of threat to European or global security. It’s possible that in the future, maybe the distant future, both western and eastern states will integrate. The world is now more closely integrated and maybe, there will be no borders some day. And it will be difficult for an ordinary traveler to understand what state he is in. We hope for this, everyone will benefit from this."

Perhaps it is time to try a new approach?

" - I hope that all the events that happened in Kosovo, South Ossetia and our 18-year history will suggest the thought to the political circles of all states that the decisions should not be taken only on the basis of once-developed dogmas and doctrines. If you attempt to cure the patient with one kind of medicine and see no progress, then you do not kill the patient but you recommend another medicine instead. That is, of course, if you desire good health for your patient. That’s why I hope that all countries striving for the settlement of the conflict share the desire that a young and healthy Pridnestrovie will exist and I hope they will adopt new settlement methods."

Any closing statement?

" - Over the last two-three years the foreign media have been more active in covering the events happening in Pridnestrovie. We regard it as an attempt to learn about the real situation, the opinion of people and to inform the international community about what is actually happening here and how to help the people in this difficult situation." (With information from vspmr.org)

See also:
» Yevgeny Shevchuk: "Pridnestrovie must engage constructively with Moldova and Ukraine"
» Yevgeny Shevchuk: "Democracy means respecting the majority will of the people"
» Yevgeny Shevchuk: "We will work for more and more democratization"