Russian State Duma urges Ukraine and Moldova to restore the customs regime existing before March 3

The Russian State Duma adopted a declaration on Friday, March 10 in connection with worsening of the situation in Transnistria, urging the Kiev and Chisinau governments to restore the customs regime existing before March 3. Also, Russian parliamentarians turned down some proposals of their colleagues to take measures against Moldova, while Moscow media noted that the declaration was „balanced”. According to the declaration, the action of the Moldovan and Ukrainian authorities harms the economy of the Moldovan Transnistrian republic and it may lead to a humanitarian catastrophe because both about 80,000 Russian citizens and approximately the same number of Ukrainians. Also, it notes that Transnistria did not participate in the making of the decision to introduce the new customs regime at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border and the point 3 of the 1997 Moscow Memorandum was violated. The Russian parliamentarians consider that the customs regime for transit of commodities which existed before March 3 should be restored and all the interested sides must return to negotiations and consultations. Andrei Saveliev, lawmaker representing the Rodina faction, proposed that the declaration include some actions that the Russian leadership will take if the situation continues one more week: introduction of visa regime for Moldova, humanitarian aid to Transnistria during spring works, actions for integration of educational institutions in the Russian system, measures for recognition of Transnistria’s sovereignty and its inclusion in the Russian Federation, etc. These proposals garnered only 81 votes out of 226 needed votes. Andrei Kokosin, chairman of the State Duma Committee for relations with CIS, said that the Duma could hold a sitting next week, with the participation of cabinet members, if the situation around Transnistria does not improve. The declaration was sent to the European Parliament, Supreme Rada of Ukraine, Moldovan parliament, Supreme Soviet in Tiraspol, and the U.S. Congress. The Moldovan parliament adopted Thursday a declaration on artificial worsening of tension in the Transnistrian section of the Moldovan-Ukrainian state border, in which it expresses deep concern with the dangerous development of situation in the eastern breakaway enclave of Transnistria. The Chisinau parliament expressed regret that the Russian Federation does not describe the statements of the unrecognised Tiraspol administration appropriately and underlines that the entire responsibility for the recent dangerous evolutions in the region rests with the separatist leaders in Tiraspol and „their protectors in other countries.” At the same time, the international community welcomes the actions of Ukraine aimed to implement the Joint declaration of the Ukrainian and Moldovan prime ministers on unification of customs control procedures, while the European Union and United States urge Transnistria to get prepared for „serious talks” at the next round of negotiations. Ukraine introduced the new customs regime for Transnistrian commodity flow at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border on March 3, so that the goods from the breakaway enclave are exported on basis of the Moldovan customs stamps only. The unrecognised Tiraspol authorities have described this action as an economic blockade and they withdrew from the five-plus-two negotiations on March 7.