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Decision about neutral license plates is a trap for Chisinau, opinion


https://www.ipn.md/en/decision-about-neutral-license-plates-is-a-trap-for-chisinau-opinion-7978_1041312.html

The decision to give neutral license plates to owners of motors vehicles in Transnistria and the right to enter international road traffic is a trap as it allows registering vehicles in another fiscal-customs regime, the one typical for the Transnistrian region. This thing is validated by an agreement signed by Chisinau and Tiraspol on April 24, IPN reports.

Sergiu Gaibu, programs director at the Institute for Development and Social Initiative “Viitorul”, in the program “Emphasis on today” on TVR Moldova channel, said Transnistrian private individuals and legal entities could register vehicles with Moldovan license numbers until now. “So, the problem is artificial. The only problem was the fact that those whom wanted to register motor vehicles in the Republic of Moldova had to travel to the right bank of the Nistru as the Transnistrian administration refused and continues to refuse to allow the constitutional authorities to open centers that would serve the population from the left bank of the Nistru there,” stated Sergiu Gaibu.

Security expert Rosian Vasiloi said the negotiations on the neutral license plates were non-transparent. The decision to issue such plates to vehicle owners from Transnistria and to accept these cars into international road traffic wasn’t the best one. “In my opinion, imposing a regime for gradually complying with the national legislation was the best solution. The Moldovan authorities made such attempts in 2012-2013, but the demands were later unilaterally withdrawn by the Government of Moldova and this confusion continued,” stated the expert.

Ex-member of the Join Control Commission Ion Leahu said it is not clear if this agreement is a completed act or only a step towards something else, like the full observance of the legislation of the Republic of Moldova in the future or the recognition of the separate vehicle registration system.

The owners of vehicles in the Transnistrian region twill receive neutral license plates and will be admitted to international road traffic as of September 1, 2018. An agreement on the mechanism for the participation of vehicles from Transnistria in international road traffic was signed by the Chief Negotiators from Chisinau and Tiraspol in Bender on April 24.