The European Union extended the sanctions imposed against the Transnistrian administration until October 31, 2019. Tiraspol describes the decision as counterproductive, IPN reports.

In a comment for the local press, the Transnistrian authorities said the decision to extend the moratorium imposed in 2010 is inappropriate. The official Tiraspol considers there are no reasons for such an unchanged decision taken based on an assessment of the situation carried out 15 years ago as they consistently obeyed the provisions of Protocol Decision of November 25, 2017 concerning the functioning of schools teaching based on the Latin script, which stipulates optimal conditions for the activity of these institutions.

The comment says the international participants in the 5+2 format talks, including the EU, welcomed the signing of the protocol decision and the progress made in the field. Consequently, this step taken by the Council of the European Union can be the result of inappropriate coordination between the EU institutions.

“We describe the situation as an unhappy misunderstanding and call on the Council of the European Union to abandon the fixed approach that hampers the consociation of constructive practices in the process of regulating the Moldovan-Transnistrian relations and undermines the authority of the EU as an observer in the 5+2 consultative format,” says the message of the Transnistrian administration.

The sanctions were imposed in 2010 following the lack of progress in settling the Transnistrian dispute and the Transnistrian authorities’ refusal to allow the local schools teaching based on the Latin script to work.