Opposition leader: “Negotiations are better than war or conflict”

Yevgeny Shevchuk is willing to restart talks with Moldova even though the right to foreign trade is still severely restricted

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - “Negotiations are better than war or conflict,” says Yevgeny Shevchuk, the reform-minded leader of Pridnestrovie's largest opposition party Renewal and the current Speaker of Parliament.

With that in mind, the 38 year old politician is ready to restart the status settlement talks with Moldova which have been on ice for almost a year.

Talks ended immediately after the 3 March 2006 introduction by Moldova and Ukraine of a new set of joint customs regulations aimed at crippling the economic viability of Pridnestrovie, also known abroad under names such as Transnistria and Transdniester. In a surprise move not negotiated with Pridnestrovie's government, the two neighbors introduced a new regime restricting exports and imports to and from Pridnestrovie across the Moldo-Ukrainian border. Under the new rules, all cargo had to be accompanied by customs and other trade documentation issued exclusively in Pridnestrovie's neighboring country, the internationally recognized Republic of Moldova. In Pridnestrovie, the vast majority of the population perceived that as an economic blockade, designed to starve the small and unrecognized country into submission. The Pridnestrovian government made it clear that it would not be blackmailed into negotiating with a gun to its head, and announced that it would only return to the negotiating table after the trade blockade had been lifted.

In subsequent months, mediators attempted to kickstart status settlement talks. Pridnestrovie, however, made it clear that its economic survival was at stake and that it would only negotiate if Moldova would respect the conditions of a 1997 agreement signed between the two sides which allowed for Pridnestrovie to engage in foreign trade independently of Moldova, the main other party to the dispute.

Now, however, influential opposition leader Yevgeny Shevchuk had made it clear that he is willing to break ranks with the official government position and that he does not support president Igor Smirnov's insistence on conditioning the resumption of talks on a removal of trade restrictions.

On Thursday, the young Speaker of Parliament met in Tiraspol with Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged, the EU Special representative for Eastern Europe. The two officials discussed relations between Moldova and Pridnestrovie have been discussed, and Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged urge Pridnestrovie to return to the negotiating table even under the currently unfavorable conditions.

According to the Press Service of the PMR Parliament, both parties underlined that crucial issues should be settled only at negotiating table, and the European Union diplomat declared himself willing to listen to Pridnestrovie's side of the story and hear Pridnestrovie's version of events concerning its own future.

Caving in to the EU position, Yevgeny Shevchuk sai that “negotiations are better than war or conflict. There is still tension and unsolved issues, which should be settled at negotiating table.”

Speaker: Under trade restrictions, talks could be "senseless"

The Speaker of Parliament put an emphasis on an important fact, saying that “It is an unconstructive practice that after imposition of [trade] restrictions by Moldova or Ukraine or the EU, they now submit new proposals for negotiations to us. If such a policy is pursued, the talks could become senseless. Pridnestrovie is currently suffering difficult economic and social conditions as a result of restrictions imposed on us in early 2006. We’d like an appropriate atmosphere to be created to promote negotiations as well as progress of Moldova and Pridnestrovie”.

In response, the EU Special representative for Eastern Europe avoided the issue. Instead, Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged just said that “We are planning the next round of negotiations for the Transdniesteria settlement in the format of “5+2” for mid February, both parties have already been invited. In our opinion, it is impossible to resume negotiations without a dialogue between the two parties to the conflict. The settlement mechanism should be found jointly”.

The EU Special representative for Eastern Europe represents the European Union'sposition in conflicts affecting interests of Europe and is the main person responsible for implementing European policy in regards to the status settlement negotiations regarding Moldova's sixteen year old territorial claim to Pridnestrovie.

This week's visit by Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged to Tiraspol was his last as the EU Special representative for Eastern Europe. On February 28 he will give his mandate to a new EU Special representative for Eastern Europe, whose name has not yet been announced.

Although neither Moldova nor Pridnestrovie form part of the European Union, the EU has taken a special interest in the two countries which are geographically part of Europe. After claims by Moldova that Pridnestrovie smuggled weapons, a EU border mission was established on Pridnestrovie's border in late 2005. After more than a year, the border observers have failed to find any proof of the Moldova's claims against Pridnestrovie. For its part, Pridnestrovie has always pointed out that the accusations were bogus and part of an irresponsible Moldovan smear campaign which only worsen the relations between the two sides. (With information from vspmr.org)

See also:
» In Transdniester, presidential candidates disagree on common state with Moldova