Ion Leahu, former member of the Joint Control Commission, expects negative developments in 2018 in the settlement process of the Transnistrian issue. He said that after the apostillation of Transnistrian diplomas in Chisinau, people from the separatist region who bought unrecognized university diplomas will now receive internationally recognized ones and be able to go wherever they want. In an interview for Radio Free Europe, Leahu bitterly said that this will be the only positive in 2018, IPN reports.

He said that the problem of farmers will continue, as Tiraspol doesn’t want to recognize their private ownership of lands beyond the Tiraspol-Rabnita road and they will have to register again. Some of these lands have already been taken over by people and companies from the left bank. “It means we will have to fight them, to get these parcels pack. The ownership rights belong to the owners, but the land was worked by renters. The latter are afraid, because they have no guarantees that they will be able to work the land and gather the harvest. However you look at it, it’s bad. There is no success on the horizon”, said Leahu.

Asked about the joint Moldovan-Ukrainian control at the border, Leahu admitted it might help. However, he says only the Kuciurgan border post actually concerns the Transnistrian segment. “I’ve read their statements and understood that in 2018 they will actively promote this topic. Tiraspol’s minimum goal is not to allow the expansion of other posts beside Kuciurgan”, said the former official.

He thinks that the Transnistrian issue isn’t currently a priority for Moldova. Except for a few things, whatever happens won’t change much and won’t bother the people living in the Transnistrian region, said Leahu.