DECLARATION
of the VII Congress of Deputies of All Levels
of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic
We, the delegates of the VII Congress of Deputies of all levels of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, who are popularly and democratically elected representatives of the people, deputies of the Supreme and local Councils, representing the fundamental interests of the population of Pridnestrovie, by the desire to ensure peace, security and prosperity of the republic:
• guided by the goals of implementing the will of the people expressed in all referendums,
• based on the provisions of the Constitution of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, the Declaration of Independence of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, laws and the Development Strategy of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic for 2019 - 2026,
• taking into considerations the decisions of previous Congresses of Deputies of all levels of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic,
• reaffirming commitment to universal human values and international law, including the right of peoples to self-determination and free development,
• based on the fact that Pridnestrovie is a democratic legal sovereign state that has proven for more than 33 years its solvency, ability to participate in international relations and bear international obligations, maintain peace and security, and provide decent living conditions for its citizens,
• emphasizing the inviolability of the current format of the peacekeeping mission on the Dniester,
• not accepting the unprecedented economic pressure organized against Pridnestrovie from neighboring Moldova, including illegal financial and economic extortions from every citizen, contrary to the universal principles of free trade,
• rejecting the artificial blocking of political and diplomatic settlement mechanisms, including Moldova’s long-term refusal to interact with Pridnestrovie at the level of senior political leadership and self-exclusion from the full-fledged work of the “5+2” negotiating format,
• focusing on peaceful interaction based on the principles of equality of Moldova and Pridnestrovie,
• aware of the responsibility to the Motherland and future generations,
We declare:
The statehood and independence of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic were proclaimed in full accordance with the fundamental documents of international law, including the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and were additionally confirmed by the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of July 22, 2010, stating that there is no contradiction between the Declaration of Independence and international law.
The main goal and principles of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic development are political stability, economic self-sufficiency and social justice with a focus on strengthening independence and gaining broad international recognition, protecting the rights, freedoms and identity of the Pridnestrovian people.
The distinctive Pridnestrovian people, which have existed for centuries, during the period of independence of Pridnestrovie received an additional incentive for the free development and self-expression of their identity, representing a unique multinational community uniting representatives of more than 70 nationalities. Our identity is fundamentally different from the Bessarabian or Romanian identification of the population of neighboring Moldova, to which Pridnestrovie historically has no relation and a priori cannot be part of someone else’s value, national-cultural and linguistic space.
Pridnestrovie repelled the armed aggression of Moldova, which led to the death of hundreds of civilians, for which the perpetrators have not yet been held accountable. Having defended the right to the opportunity to independently determine its own future, Pridnestrovie will continue to seek a political and legal assessment of the inhumane military aggression on the part of Moldova with the aim of international condemnation and obtaining guarantees to prevent the repetition of such crimes in the future.
Pridnestrovie has been participating in the negotiation process with Moldova for decades, striving to find ways to peacefully resolve the conflict, to establish state-legal relations that ensure the entire range of rights and interests of our people. Unlike Pridnestrovie, the leadership of Moldova has repeatedly violated previously agreed upon agreements, showing an inability to open civilized dialogue, unwillingness to take into account the interests of our multinational people.
We note with great concern that Moldova continues its destructive course of socio-economic strangulation of Pridnestrovie, deliberately escalating tension, seeking to destroy the fragile balance and stability in the regional space.
Moldova adopted amendments to the Criminal Code (the so-called law on separatism) in 2023, creating the preconditions for criminal prosecution of literally every citizen of Pridnestrovie. Pridnestrovians are subjected to discrimination and arbitrariness when crossing the border of the Republic of Moldova; residents of Pridnestrovie are deported, separating them from their families. Moldova at the same time is seeking to destroy our healthcare system. The supply of diagnostic equipment for medical institutions to Pridnestrovie is blocked, the import of X-ray equipment into the republic is prohibited, which violates the natural human right to life and health. The problem of importing medicines into the republic has worsened due to the inhumane actions of Moldova as a result of which citizens of Pridnestrovie are faced with a shortage and rising costs of medicines.
Moldova introduced extortionate customs duties against Pridnestrovian enterprises from January 1, 2024; these payments are taken away from enterprises, withdrawn from our budget and deposited in the budget of a neighboring state that has nothing to do with our citizens. The republic's economy found itself under the burden of double payment of customs duties, provoking rising prices, destruction of large and small businesses, and disruption of traditional trade and economic ties with many countries of the world.
Moldova actually initiated an economic war against our people, deliberately creating the preconditions for a multimillion-dollar budget deficit and a catastrophic decline in trade. The neighboring state by its actions grossly violates the inalienable human rights and freedoms enshrined in the universal sources of law.
Moldova even after three decades of international negotiations neither in the past nor today has been unable to recognize that the residents of Pridnestrovie have inalienable human rights and freedoms, denying us the realization of basic essential needs: the right to personal safety and integrity, the right to protect life and health, the right to freedom of movement, the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the right to protection from any form of discrimination, the inadmissibility of arbitrary detention or expulsion and many others.
The greatest socio-economic pressure has been exerted on Pridnestrovie from the moment the leadership of Moldova chose and consolidated its course towards the European Union and the rights and freedoms of citizens of the republic have been most massively violated, which directly contradicts European principles and approaches in the field of protecting human rights and free trade.
Moldova has deliberately blocked the normal operation of the international “5+2” format and all these years has continued to avoid political dialogue at the level of the top leadership of the parties since the fall of 2019. Chisinau in addition refused to implement almost all previously reached agreements with Pridnestrovie, including the last package of social and humanitarian protocol decisions signed in 2016 – 2018.
The current critical situation requires urgent and maximally active international intervention in order to prevent the escalation of tensions and prevent the situation from developing into a crisis.
We state:
We express our support to the leadership and all branches of government of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic in promoting the state course determined by the will of the people.
We are convinced that only the sovereignty of Pridnestrovie is an integral and fundamental condition for the protection of unique identity, as well as the fundamental rights and freedoms of our multinational people, enshrined in the basic principles of international law and the provisions of the UN Charter.
We emphasize the essential importance of the peacekeeping mission on the Dniester, which has enormous support from the population not only of Pridnestrovie, but also of neighboring Moldova. The peacekeeping operation must continue until the final and fair settlement of the conflict, despite any political moves by Moldova and attempts to destroy the basic peace agreement of July 21, 1992.
We welcome the efforts of the state to preserve the true historical memory of Pridnestrovie and will not allow anyone to impose on our people and the young generation of Pridnestrovians a false and alien interpretation of history, substitution of concepts and pseudo-values hostile to the very essence of human existence.
We express support for diplomatic efforts aimed at regular interaction with international participants in the negotiation process in the “5+2” format, the desire to use existing mechanisms and adequate international negotiation platforms to protect statehood, the rights and freedoms of Pridnestrovian citizens, economic and all other legitimate interests of society and the state.
We note the fundamental importance of consolidating society and the state in achieving the strategic objectives of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.
Pridnestrovie remains committed to peaceful political and diplomatic methods of resolving contradictions. Pridnestrovie at the same time will persistently fight for its own identity, rights and interests of the Pridnestrovian people and will not give up their protection, despite any forms of blackmail and external pressure.
We consider it necessary:
1. To adopt an appeal to the Federation Council and the State Duma of the Russian Federation with a request to implement diplomatic measures to protect Pridnestrovie in the face of increasing pressure from Moldova, taking into account the fact of permanent residence on the territory of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic of more than 220 thousand Russian citizens and the unique positive experience of Russian peacekeeping on the Dniester as well as the status of a guarantor and mediator in the negotiation process.
2. To adopt an appeal to the Secretary-General of the United Nations with a request to take into account the inalienable rights of the Pridnestrovian people, guaranteed by international norms, to stop the violation by neighboring Moldova of the rights and freedoms of citizens of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and to prevent provocations leading to an escalation of tension.
3. To adopt an appeal to the participants in the international negotiation process in the “5+2” format.
4. To adopt an appeal to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe with a call to influence the leadership of Moldova in order to return to an adequate dialogue within the framework of the international negotiation process, to stop neighboring Moldova’s violation of the rights and freedoms of citizens of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, as well as to ensure conditions for a civilized settlement conflict.
5. To adopt an appeal to the Interparliamentary Assembly of States Parties of the Commonwealth of Independent States with a call to prevent escalation on the Dniester.
6. To adopt an appeal to the Parliament of the European Union with a request to make efforts to prevent pressure from Moldova and violation of the rights and freedoms of Pridnestrovians.
7. To adopt an appeal to the International Committee of the Red Cross with a call to ensure conditions for ensuring the social and humanitarian rights, interests and inalienable freedoms of all residents of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.