Krasnoselsky objected to Lavrov: Transnistria will not unite with Moldova

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The head of Transnistria, Vadim Krasnoselsky, said that Tiraspol will not fulfill Chisinau’s demand to remove the checkpoint on the border with Moldova. “This is the state border and it will not be removed”, said Krasnoselsky. Krasnoselsky said this in response to a proposal by the President of Moldova Igor Dodon to discuss the issue of the checkpoint removing with Krasnoselsky at a meeting in the fall. Dodon also noted that next year it will be possible to talk about a final political settlement of the Transnistrian problem. The Tiraspol leader replied that he did not intend to talk about unification with Moldova, and confirmed Transnistria’s independence course, reports ng .ru Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speech during youth forum caused a heated discussion in Chisinau. Moldovan media drew attention to a statement where Lavrov called the self-proclaimed republic “a part of Moldova”. Answering a question from a student from Transnistria, Sergey Lavrov emphasized that the Russian Federation did not recognize Transnistria and continues to consider it an integral part of the Republic of Moldova, though on certain conditions. According to Moldavian reporters, the Pridnestrovian TV channel included this conversation of Lavrov and young people in its TV spot but cut out a lot, leaving words about the “policy of small steps.” “Russia is a participant in the 5 + 2 negotiation process, which aims to resolve this conflict on the basis of principles agreed many years ago. These principles are a special status within the Republic of Moldova, provided that Moldova retains its sovereignty, that is, it will not be absorbed as a state and remains neutral, that is, it will not enter military-political blocs,” said Lavrov. He recalled that “at the last moment, literally a few hours before the signing Kozak Memorandum our EU colleagues from Brussels forbade the then Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin to sign this document. And it was not signed.” Further, Lavrov mentioned the policy of small steps, noting that the 5+2 negotiation mechanism works on the basis of its principle (Moldova, Transnistria - the parties, Russia, Ukraine, and OSCE - mediators, the EU and the USA - observers). When asked about this TV spot by the Transnistrian television channel, Vadim Krasnoselsky told that “reporters have their own approaches.” As for him personally, he did not watch this TV spot. Meanwhile, the TV spot ended with a mention of a future meeting in Bratislava, which to be held in October in the 5+2 format. Meanwhile, Moldovan President Igor Dodon said he expects to discuss with his Transnistrian counterpart Vadim Krasnoselsky in the near future urgent issues on the bilateral agenda as part of negotiations to resolve the Dniester conflict. First of all, these are topics of the banking sector and freedom of movement of citizens. “At the moment, as for Transnistria, we are focused on solving the current problems that citizens face,” said Dodon. Regarding the restriction of freedom of movement, the Moldovan leader noted that people from Transnistria come to the right bank without any problems and passport checks. He expects a similar approach from Tiraspol. According to Igor Dodon , the removal of the checkpoints by the Transnistrian side is “quite realistic.” Earlier, the Moldovan side, within the framework of the Joint Control Commission (JCC), which controls the security zone (area of ​​former military operations) on the Dniester, issued advisory stating that in case of changing the infrastructure at the Bender border crossing, Chisinau will consider the possibility of blocking transport links through this security control point. Then the threats of Moldova to block the main transport artery connecting Chisinau and Tiraspol, Oleg Belyakov, the JCC co-chair from Transnistria, called dangerous and unacceptable. “Violations of human rights, even in those territories that are not yet recognized, are impossible. This is a UN decision, and in this part, people’s rights must be respected. The 1992 agreement also categorically forbids blocking roads and creating obstacles for the movement of people, ”Belyakov told reporters. According to him, the Transnistrian side, in turn, does not introduce any sanctions and restrictions. “If there are any elements of control, then the same is on the Moldovan side. Therefore, we are surprised when these theses are voiced in the Joint Control Commission,”said the JCC co-chair from Transnistria. They started talking about the security control point again. President Dodon promised to discuss this issue with Vadim Krasnoselsky. However, the Transnistrian leader noted that “checkpoints were established on the border of the Transnistrian Moldavian Republic with Moldova.” “This is a border, Transnistrian border guards serve there, and the border will not be removed,” the leader of the unrecognized republic stated. Vadim Krasnoselsky responded to another proposal by Igor Dodon: on creating the opportunities for the resumption of negotiations on a final political settlement of the Transnistrian problem in 2020. We remind that negotiations currently follow the “policy of small steps” aimed at improving the lives of people from the two banks of the Dniester. But we are not talking about the possible status of Transnistria because of Tiraspol. That is, the “political negotiation basket” does not open in the negotiations. Moldovan authorities want to do this in the near future, moreover, with the help of the Russian Federation, the EU and the U.S.A. - those partners who, according to the President of the Republic of Moldova, supported the ruling coalition, which is currently in force in the Republic of Moldova. However, the head of the Transnistrian administration categorically rejected negotiations on the status. He noted that “Transnistria is guided by a referendum of 2006, where more than 90% of locals voted for independence from Moldova with the prospect of further integration with Russia." “Our position does not change. And it depends on the will of the people of Transnistria. If you ever need to clarify the position, we will hold a referendum,” said Krasnoselsky. Regarding the words of Sergey Lavrov about Transnistria, he explained that the Russian Foreign Minister said the same he said before. “And our relations with Moscow are the same as before, nothing has changed,” assured Krasnoselsky. Meanwhile, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu in an interview with TASS noted that in order to solve the difficult Transnistrian problem “we need to get things shaped up”. Point