Chisinau authorities must use crisis in Transnistrian region to reintegrate country - Igor Munteanu

The Chisinau authorities must be inventive, must have an excess of imagination and use the crisis in the Transnistrian region, created after the introduction of the new customs regime at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, for the benefit of country reintegration, political analyst Igor Munteanu has stated to the radio channel Antena C. He noted that Chisinau could think about a social investment fund for Moldovan population who work in that region and it could encourage the Transnistria-based enterprises which will get legalised in the near future, in order to strengthen this connection of economic agents based in the eastern breakaway enclave with the Moldovan economy. Thirdly, it could introduce sanctions including for the Tiraspol leaders who take measures for penal investigation of representatives of Transnistrian businesses who would like to get legalised in compliance with Moldovan laws. Each of these elements could create a solution to this situation, if the authorities use them reasonable, he noted. Munteanu admitted that citizens from the secessionist region could feel vulnerable in this situation, but everybody must understand that this is an unavoidable measure. The territorial integrity cannot be discussed abstractly, if we do not make the first steps, the analyst added. Ukraine allows the exportation of goods over its border with Moldova on basis of the Moldovan customs stamps only, starting March 3. This decision has raised bitter reactions from administration of the separatist region. Persons from different localities held protests this week. Moscow backs the stance of the Transnistrian authorities, with the State Duma adopting a declaration in which it described these measures as an economic blockade and demanded the restoration of the customs regime implemented before March 3. On the other hand, the international community saluted what it described as a fair decision of Ukraine and noted that this is not an economic blockade on Moldova’s eastern breakaway enclave of Transnistria.