It would be harder to resolve Transnistrian conflict with time passing, William Hill

The Transnistrian conflict is political, caused by political players, and it must be resolved by political ways, said the former Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova William Hill. “The more time passes, the more difficult it would be to settle the Transnistrian dispute. A new generation grows, which does not know how Moldova was when it was a unified country. This generation will not understand why it is important for Moldova to be integral. Regardless of who will head the breakaway republic after the December elections, the conflict can be solved by negotiations,” William Hill said in a public lecture themed “Lessons from the Moldovan-Transnistrian conflict” that was organized by the OSCE Mission in Chisinau, Info-Prim Neo reports. William Hill considers that a possible solution is to grant Transnistria the status of autonomous region, as in the case of Gagauzia. “Gagauzia should be a good example for the people living on the left bank of the Nistru. Moldova must respect the agreement signed with Gagauzia and not come into conflict with the authorities in Comrat. This way the Transnistrians will understand that they lose nothing if they join Moldova,” he said. The former Head of the OSCE Mission stated he knows from his experience that the situation in Moldova is simpler than in other states experiencing conflicts involving separatists. “The Transnistrians are not in conflict with the people living on the right bank. Moreover, they like each other. There are families who live on both banks. Many young people from Transnistria study at universities in Chisinau. The population is able to travel from one bank of the river to the other. The conflict is not ethnical or linguistic in nature. Thus, it can be solved easier than the conflicts existing in Kosovo or between Turkey and Cyprus for example,” he said. He believes that a number of mistakes should be rectified for the conflict to be resolved. There must be eliminated certain barriers, especially as regards the movement over the Nistru because the people must travel freely. William Hill recommended the Moldovan authorities to provide the Transnistrians with more information and explain to them that they have nothing to lose if the region unites with Moldova.