Tiraspol and the whole Transnistrian region distanced themselves too much from Chisinau since the conflict started. The region has a different fiscal system and legislation, while the people think in a different way compared with rest of the Moldovans. Such an opinion was expressed by the politologist of the Center “Ukrainian Meridian” Dmitri Levusi, IPN reports.
”The region detached itself too much from Moldova. However, it is not torn up from the world. It has a rather large, common border with Ukraine. The problem is that the people there still believe in Russia - the mother. They consider that they live in a besieged fortress,” the politologist said in a Kiev-Chisinau duplex staged by Radio Moldova.
Another participant in the duplex, Vitali Kulik, Ukrainian expert on European security issues, said that the relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol developed even if Tiraspol became more reserved in the negotiation process. “There is no risk that this process will turn into a military conflict, as it happened in other countries. However, there are socioeconomic problems as regards the observance of the rights of the region’s inhabitants. About 100,000 Ukrainians live there and Ukraine must take steps to ensure their welfare,” he stated.
Chisinau was represented in the discussions by Foreign Policy Association expert Radu Vrabie and political analyst Oazu Nantoi, program director at the Public Policy Institute. “We reached a point when we cannot resolve the socioeconomic problems as we don’t know what status this region will have. Tiraspol asks recognizing the region’s banking system. How can this be done? I’ve got the impression that nobody in the region wants independence as independence means responsibility,” he stated.
Oazu Nantoi said the Moldovans cannot ignore the fact that Russia attacked the country earlier and now maintains the conflict in the region artificially. “The people who live there are hostage of this situation. 4,000 students from the region study in Moldova. All the Transnistrian economic entities are registered on the right bank and do not pay taxes. There is a kind of Russian chauvinism. The residents cannot go abroad with their passports and thus have to look for Moldovan, Russian, or Ukrainian passports,” he said.
The Transnistrian conflict has lasted for 21 years. Six rounds of talks in the 5+2 format aimed at identifying solutions to the dispute are to be held this year.
