 | FREE TRADE with the rest of the world has been banned for over a year. Failing to reach its goal, many now see the move as Moldova's worst mistake. [more] |  | | |  | WHY NOT HIM? Analysts tipped opposition leader Yevgeny Shevchuk as the man who could beat Smirnov. So why didn't he run for president? Here, he explains. [more] |
| ||||||
OSCE sees improved government; increased trust in Transdniester
As part of a weapons inspection visit, a high-ranking OSCE delegation saw that "the process of governing this region is being improved". Speaking to the press, the Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council, Ambassador Bertrand de Crombrugghe, called the visit positive. He also said that steps to increase trust have been taken.
The Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council, Ambassador Bertrand de Crombrugghe (File photo: David Khizanishvili, OSCE)TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - On Sunday, 12 November, the Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council, Ambassador Bertrand de Crombrugghe of Belgium, spoke to local and foreign correspondents in Tiraspol about the preliminary results of a high-level inspection visit by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Despite mentioning his disagreement with some of the policies pursued by Pridnestrovie, he called the visit positive and highlighted a series of recent improvements related to governability, openness and mutual trust.
The comments came as part of a visit by an OSCE delegation to Pridnestrovie, also known as Transnistria or Transdniester. The delegation's agenda included visiting weapons storage facilities in the north as well as meeting with the leadership of the unrecognized country.
" - We had disagreements, but have one common value – that it is beneficial to enter a dialog, to listen to each other," Bertrand de Crombrugghe said. "The Transdniester region has a complicated history, and a pretty complex population composition. It is not easy, of course, to find solutions to all issues. The process of governing this region is being improved, in order to give the people working here an opportunity to use the fruit of their work, so that the people could develop, flourish, and live in a culture they belong to."
According to Crombrugghe, both the OSCE and the European Union are now ready to lend a hand to Pridnestrovie by assisting with much-needed organizational help, legislation reform, and a general openness to the outer world.
" - The European Union can help by giving access to international trade, investments, market, and freedom of travel."
" - The OSCE believes that the future of Transdniester is to be part of Moldova, but the Transdniester issue has to be found through negotiations. That is why a number of steps to increase trust have been taken, and this could be developed further, which we are working on," de Crombrugghe says.
- Smirnov comes out swinging
Contrasting de Crombrugghe's diplomatic subtleties, in his characteristically bombastic style, PMR President Igor Smirnov came out swinging with some harsh digs at neighboring Moldova for its continued scare-campaign and the constant barrage of propaganda against Pridnestrovie which seeks to isolate and demonize it.
" - With every year, the world community gets a deeper understanding of the level of deceit by the Moldovan authorities who presents us in a wrong light. I think that the year-long work of the European Union mission has yielded a clear answer – that there is neither smuggling nor drug trafficking in Pridnestrovie. We have translated the related documents into English and handed them to all the ambassadors."
According to Smirnov, the large size of the European delegation speaks of the level of interest that the OSCE has in Pridnestrovie.
" - What is also useful is that we have an opportunity to present our point of view directly to the ambassadors. For we are deprived of this opportunity because we are not recognized as a sovereign country, and because what Moldova claims is often taken for the absolute truth,'' Smirnov said.
Igor Smirnov's government has consistently denied all claims of weapons trafficking or other illicit activity, pointing out that the small country is landlocked and that Moldova has never been able to produce any evidence of its claims. Siding with Pridnestrovie, Western diplomats familiar with the situation have also called Moldova's accusations wildly exaggerated, pointing to a lack of evidence.
In closing, OSCE's Bertrand de Crombrugghe thanked PMR President Igor Smirnov Igor Smirnov for "the opportunity to discuss such important issues related to Transdniester," as reported by the Regnum News Agency.
Although officially called Pridnestrovie, the unrecognized country is better known in English as Transdniester. It declared independence in 1990, but despite meeting all the requirements for statehood under international law, an unresolved territorial claim by Moldova has kept it from being recognized and integrated into the international community.
See also:
» OSCE offers to organize elections in Pridnestrovie
» Open doors to OSCE team for weapons inspection
A conference held at the European Parliament in Brussels concluded that unrecognized states like Pridnestrovie need a way to be heard by the world. "It is necessary to create and sustain permanent mechanisms of involvement and consultation of unrecognized state entities in the international community". This will benefit everyone, says the event's official statement. . . 
