Moldovan NGOs welcome implementation of new customs regime at Moldova-Ukraine border

Member organisations of the Council for the Monitoring of the Transnistrian Conflict (CMCT) have welcome the joint efforts of Moldova and Ukraine for implementation of the new customs regime in the Transnistrian section of the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. Also, they condemned the interference of the separatist Tiraspol regime in activity of the nongovernmental sector in the region. According to a declaration signed by NGOs and delivered to Info-Prim Neo, the signatories express concern with actions of the Transnistrian authorities, who try to halt the implementation of the new customs regulations and legal registration of economic agents based in the region with the constitutional bodies of Moldova. They hope that the actions of the separatist regime will not worsen the social-economic condition of population living in the region, noting that the entire responsibility rests with the Tiraspol leaders. As representatives of nongovernmental sector from both banks of the Dniester river, the signatory organisations noted that the ban of foreign financing for NGOs based on the left bank of the Dniester river is a grave violation of fundamental freedoms and human rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights, international pact on civil and political rights, Moldovan legislation in effect, and other acts. „We salute the March 14 Resolution of the European Parliament on human rights in Moldova and, in particular, in the Transnistrian region, which made a right appreciation of the need to implement the customs regulations between Moldova and Ukraine.” The same resolution urged the Russian Federation to stop its support for the Transnistrian authorities immediately, to withdraw its troops and weapons from Moldova unconditionally, in compliance with decisions of the 1999 Istanbul OSCE summit. According to the declaration, CMCT backs the Declaration of the Forum for Democracy and Human Rights on the left bank of the Dniester river, which demands the annulment of the decree of the Tiraspol leader regarding the financing of NGOs and calls for guaranteeing of the freedom of association and functioning of NGOs in the Transnistrian region. Also, the signatories express concern with the holding and unmotivated assault on the representative of the Moldovan Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Maxim Belinschi, in territory of the unrecognised republic by Transnistrian security on March 14. The declaration was signed by the United European Moldova Association, New Europe Movement, Promo Lex Association, Captes Centre of Information, Training and Social Analysis, CABO Organisation of United Youth, Pro Europe Association, Moldovan Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Association for Democracy, Education and Reforms, Association of Students from Transnistria.