Opinion: WHO Will Try to Reconcile Moldova and Transdniestria

Anton SHVEC The efforts of the World Health Organization can help normalize relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol, if they believe in each other's goodwill and professional efficiency of health systems on both banks The World Health Organization experts arrived in Transdniestria today. This visit is presented as the authorities' own success on both Nistru banks. In Chisinau they claim that in this way they can get objective information about the status of infected with COVID-19 in Transdniestria, about the existing laboratories and the tests conducted in them, as well as how the regional healthcare and penitentiary systems cope with the pandemic. Earlier, non-governmental organizations and government officials of the Republic of Moldova expressed doubts about the quality of the tests conducted by Transdniestria and the validity of lockdown measures. Also, allegations of possible concealment of the real pandemic scale on the left bank were voiced. Transdniestria takes such statements hard, broadcasting its complaints against Chisinau through the regional mass media, primarily regarding the problems with the import of necessary goods through Moldovan posts on the border with Ukraine. At the same time, the Transdniestrian leadership can be quite satisfied with the current visit paid by the WHO experts, since it will make it possible to curb further attacks and to state that region is developing international cooperation. It is the WHO experts who are called upon to put an end to the endless disputes between the parties on whether Transdniestria is effectively fighting the pandemic, or a more systematic involvement of Chisinau is required, and also answer the question about weaknesses and shortcomings in pandemic containment measures taken on the left bank of the Nistru. Such a visit is also very important for the World Health Organization itself, which has long been functioning in and providing diverse support to the Transdniestrian region (for example, to fight HIV/AIDS or tuberculosis). It allows, under the principles set forth in the WHO Constitution, to demonstrate the universal scope of the organization for which there are no “white spots” on the world map, especially given the global nature of the pandemic threat. The following WHO principles should be highlighted: - the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition; - the health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent on the fullest cooperation of individuals and States; -unequal development in different countries in the promotion of health and control of diseases, especially communicable disease, is a common danger. Analyzing these approaches, we can  suggests that the visit of WHO representatives to Transdniestria was inevitable - the question was only in the consent and openness of the region's authorities. Judging by the fact that there is such a consent, Tiraspol has nothing to hide, which means that WHO will be able to give assessments and make pan-European and global forecasts taking into account the Transdniestrian situation and statistics. Profile experts in the European Union are already declaring that in most EU countries, as well as at the borders of the Union, the pandemic is declining. Almost nowhere does the number of daily registered cases increase. Therefore, EU states and economies are gradually starting to come out of the lockdown and open up. Under these conditions, it is imperative to exclude any potential foci of incidence, especially considering the visa-free regime for short-term trips provided by the EU for Moldovan citizens. The WHO report on the situation in the Transdniestrian region will become an important element in deciding on the subsequent trade, transport links and migration flows from the Republic of Moldova to the EU countries. In fact, everyone benefits from this visit. WHO gets direct access to monitoring and analysis of the situation with COVID-19 on the left bank of the Nistru. Moldova will be able to show that its concerns were followed by an adequate response at the international level. Transdniestria receives both expert assistance and a compelling argument against the accusatory rhetoric of Moldova in the form of an independent international assessment of the measures taken by Tiraspol to counter the pandemic. In the end, the goal of WHO's work is to reduce incidence based on best practices - and this is in the interest of all parties.