The Transnistrian dispute hinders the development of the Republic of Moldova and the process of joining the European Union, sad Moldova’s Ambassador to Ukraine Valeriu Chiveri. According to the diplomat, even if it has an unsolved conflict on its territory, the country has chances of joining the EU and there is the precedent of Cyprus and the conflict in Northern Cyprus, which is a state entity recognized at international level only by Turkey, IPN reports.
The ambassador noted that the Transnistrians conflict can be an obstacle to the EU accession process as a part of the member states do not want frozen conflicts to be imported into the EU. But there is the experience of Cyprus that joined the EU in 2004.
“The Transnistrians conflict is an impediment to the development of the Republic of Moldova. Evidently, it can be considered an impediment to the European integration. But there is an eloquent example as Cyprus has been a member state of the European Union since 2004, while the Cyprus conflict has historical roots. This conflict didn’t represent an impediment for Cyprus when it joined the EU. This experience can be used in our case too. Furthermore, if the war in Ukraine is not an impediment to the accession process, why should the Transnistrian region represent an impediment? Also, if we reach agreements with the European Union, the right side of the Nistru will be a pole of attraction for all the citizens from the left side of the Nistru as it will offer more development opportunities. The 5+2 negotiation format is not functional and I think it will remain nonfunctional for many years to come,” Valeriu Chiveri stated in the program “Reflection Points” on Vocea Basarabiei channel.
In the same connection, the ambassador said that even if the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine simultaneously obtained the EU candidate status, the path of European integration for the two states can be different. The progress in coming closer to the EU will depend on the done reforms.
“The European officials often said that each state will be assessed according to merits. We have the example of the liberalized visa regime. The Republic of Moldova obtained it in 2014, while Ukraine three years later. Furthermore, from geographical viewpoint, the Republic of Moldova will remain an island in the European space if Ukraine joins the EU. I don’t think we can afford the luxury of having a less advanced status than the neighboring country,” said Valeriu Chiveri.
Moldova’s Ambassador to Ukraine Valeriu Chiveri presented his credentials to President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 2, 2022. The diplomat noted that after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Kiev has worked in a war regime and the presence of the diplomatic corps in Ukraine is a gesture of solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
