PL suggests three preconditions are needed to solve Transnistrian issue

With three prerequisites met, Moldova will be able to settle the Transnistrian conflict, the Liberal Party (PL) thinks. “The PL considers a new vision is needed to settle the Transnistrian issue and, in this regard, there are three preconditions that the Republic of Moldova should meet to make that happen”, said PL vice-president Dorin Chirtoaca at a news conference on Monday, Info-Prim Neo reports. The three preconditions are: to ensure the energy security of Moldova; to break the monopoly on certain sectors in Moldova's economy; and to guarantee the respect for the law. “We need these measures so that Moldova can stand on its own feet and be truly independent in order to earn itself a more firm position in negotiating the Transnistrian settlement with Russia. As long as the Russian Federation holds the gas and electricity lever to exert pressure, as long as Russia can bar imports from our country at any time, there will not be a balanced and comfortable position for us to negotiate the Transnistrian issue”, said Chirtoaca. According to the PL, only after meeting these prerequisites should the technical steps be taken, including the withdrawal of Russian troops from Moldovan soil; upgrading the status of the US and EU from observers to fully-fledged members in the negotiation setting; maintaining and strengthening the Moldo-Ukrainian border; increasing international presence in the region, which implies the replacement of the current peacekeeping mechanism with European peacekeepers; forging a strategic partnership with Ukraine; creating attractive conditions on the right side of the Nistru to attract citizens from the Transnistrian region. “If we follow this path, it would mean a strategy of our own. So far, Moldova has followed strategies suggested from abroad, especially by Russia”, Chirtoaca explained. The PL's PR department head Boris Vieru has added that the proposal of the party represents “an absolutely unique vision on the Transnistrian issue, which could lead to a fast-track settlement of the conflict”.