The period of validity of the protocol decision that sets down the principles of resuming the movement of freight trains via the Transnistrian segment was extended for another six months. “Initially, the given mechanism was agreed for a six-month period. Given the readiness to continue its implementation, ten additional protocols to the protocol decision of March 30, 2012, by which the period of validity was extended, have been signed so far. The last protocol was signed on June 26 this year by extending the validity period until this yearend,” the Reintegration Bureau said in a response to IPN.
The protocol decision is a document that was negotiated and was signed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova and the Transnistrian leader on March 30, 2012. By this, they agreed to apply a mechanism of free movement of freight trains between the two banks of the Nistru and of common clearance of the goods transported by rail (according to the one-stop control principle) at the stations “Bender-2” (Varniţa village) and “Rybnitsa” (Rybnitsa town). This mechanism is applied to business entities that perform import-export operations and were registered by the Public Services Agency.
Recently, the Government extended the period for introducing oil products through the checkpoint “Novosavitskaya-Kuchurgan”, by allowing clearing these products at the customs post “Bender 2”, also by six months. “The oil products are intended for consumption in the Transnistrian region and the procedure was initially agreed until the end of 2016 and was later extended, usually quarterly, with eight decisions to this effect being approved by the executive so far,” said the Reintegration Bureau.
“This way, the Government of the Republic of Moldova intervenes with positive measures in relation to the population and business entities of the region so as to satisfy the demand for oil products given that these operations are part of the requirements stipulated in the national regulatory framework.”
It is clearly stated that if joint control is instituted at the checkpoint “Novosavitskaya-Kuchurgan”, the procedure defined in the given Government decision will be halted.
Unlike the protocol decision of March 30, 2012, which is a political document agreed in the negotiation process and which solved the problem of unhampered movement of freight trains, without double customs checks, through the Transnistrian region, the given Government decision regulates a specific category of goods (import of oil products) and represents a support action on the part of Chisinau for the benefit of the people living on both sides of the Nistru.
