Grosu: Integration of Transdniestria Will Continue, It Does Not Hinder EU Accession

Maintaining peace and social harmony is an achievement, Igor Grosu said in the European Union Parliament. He hinted that the integration of the Transnistrian region to Moldova will last a long time and is not an obstacle to the EU accession process, moldova1.md reported. Even Josep Borrell, head of European diplomacy, participating in the European Political Community summit in our country, mentioned the example of Cyprus, which was admitted to the European Union despite having territorial problems. Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu argues that the integration of the population and the territory on the left bank of the Nistru River also imposes costs. “Ideas or initiatives such as, it is high time we solve the Transnistrian conflict quickly, have no support in the Moldovan Parliament and among representatives of the Moldovan political community. Solving the conflict quickly will not lead to positive results. Indeed, it will lead to a further escalation. Our citizens live on the left bank and we will continue to take care of them. Just as we did during the pandemic. After the outbreak of the war. Today all imports are hindered due to the Ukrainian border blockade, the Black Sea infrastructure blockade and compromising of all supply chains. That is why all key supplies of goods, products and so on, are made only through the western border. And it is our duty, and we do it, to provide our citizens with everything they need,” Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu said. The Republic of Moldova called for the withdrawal of the Operational Group of Russian Forces and the elimination of Soviet weapons in Kobasna, while transforming the peacekeeping mission from military to civilian. The international 5+2 negotiation platform is not functioning, primarily because Russia attacked Ukraine. Both countries are mediators. The mandate of the OSCE mission in the Republic of Moldova has been recently extended until the end of the year. “It will take time, patience, a very cold appraisal. We need to evaluate future costs and the ways how we can swallow these costs. The military and those who are recruited into all kinds of illegal structures will have to adopt to a new lifestyle, find a new job and so on. It is a complex process and I would like to outline one thing”: the process of Moldova integration to the European Union is no longer discussed ‘in conjunction’ with the resolution of the Transnistrian conflict. These are two different processes that go with different speeds,” the head of Moldova Legislature stressed. The European consensus on the integration of the Transnistrian region is to grant the region a special status, which should be a subject to negotiations.