The chief negotiator of Chisinau for the Transnistrian settlement process Cristina Lesnic asked to unconditionally ensure the free movement of people on both sides of the Nistru River. The official Chisinau will not accept the politicization of the subject of the Moldovan-administered Romanian-language schools and the hampering of the movement of the about 400 teachers and more than 1,500 students, requesting to restore the free movement as of August 1 this year. The subject was discussed in a meeting with the chief negotiator of Tiraspol held in the 1+1 format, IPN reports.
Cristina Lesnic welcomed the resumption of the discussions in the 1+1 format that were put off when the pandemic started, noting that Chisinau is ready to discuss aspects included in the Berlin Plus Pakcgae and those that were emphasized during the management of the sanitary crisis.
Among the discussed subjects was the access of farmland owners who need to process and transport their agricultural products. The existing data show that 27% of the land remained uncultivated due the restrictions imposed by Tiraspol. Cristina Lesnic asked that specialists from Chisinau and Tiraspol should pay a visit to determine the situation on the spot.
As regards healthcare, the Moldovan side in the negotiation process mentioned the impediments encountered because the working group on health protection didn’t convene to discuss the situation. Chisinau proposed a draft roadmap for implementing the WHO recommendations concerning the prevention and fight against COVID-19, which was rejected by Tiraspol.
It was reiterated the necessity of obeying the previous agreements concerning the Moldovan officials’ access to the left side of the Nistru. Cristina Lesnic said that neither the ombudsman, nor representatives of civil society and journalists can travel freely. Chisinau expressed its readiness to organize meetings of the sector working groups between experts so as to discuss the problems related to health and the observance of human rights in the Transnistrian region.
It was also proposed organizing a field trip by experts of the Public Services Agency to the vehicle registration offices in Tiraspol and Chisinau, which issue neutral-design license plates, so as to see if the people are satisfied.
The chief negotiator of Chisinau noted that free movement stipulated in the protocol decisions is not respected owing to the checkpoints that were unilaterally set up by Tiraspol. The chief negotiator of Tiraspol argued he wasn’t mandated to discuss the given issue.
The meeting was held through videoconferencing at the head office of the OSCE Mission in Chisinau and involved representatives of the mediators and observers.
