The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Republic of Moldova Fern Horine arrived in Tiraspol. The diplomat was received by the PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky. The meeting was held in the office of the President. The conversation was attended by the PMR Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev.
The interlocutors outlined a range of issues of interest. The main ones were the negotiation process with Moldova, the impact of the events taking place in Ukraine on Pridnestrovie, and the observance of human rights.
Vadim Krasnoselsky noted that there have been no positive changes in relations with Moldova since the previous meeting. The "5+2" format is still idle. The negotiations slack and practically without result. The PMR President recalled that he had repeatedly proposed to the head of the neighboring republic to hold a meeting in the "1+1" format. "Nothing has happened in this sense. But no one blames anyone for this,” Vadim Krasnoselsky stated, emphasizing that he retains hope for the resumption of a productive dialogue. The PMR President considers the format of the “Permanent Conference…” (“5+2”) to be a good working platform, the effectiveness of which is undeniable. Vadim Krasnoselsky noted that the Pridnestrovian side understands that the Republic of Moldova is currently going through a difficult electoral period.
The fact was mentioned that Moldova is taking advantage of the situation in Ukraine, aggravating the already difficult situation of the Pridnestrovians. Vadim Krasnoselsky gave specific examples of Moldova’s groundless restrictions on the economic activities of economic entities in the PMR, which is a clear violation of the rights and freedoms of the residents of Pridnestrovie. It is important at the same time to understand that the conflict in Ukraine has seriously interrupted logistics, complicated the fulfillment of obligations to foreign partners, limited supplies to the republic, and deprived some markets.
The meeting participants said, discussing the impact of the events taking place in Ukraine on the situation in Pridnestrovie, that Pridnestrovians provide assistance to citizens who temporarily left Ukraine due to military actions. 290 thousand refugees passed through Pridnestrovie during the conflict, according to Vadim Krasnoselsky. 45 thousand of them stayed in the republic for a long time. Many are buying housing and finding employment. 2200 Ukrainians have used temporary residence centers. Approximately 60 people live in such a center at the expense of the Pridnestrovian state today. Children who arrived from Ukraine attend kindergartens, schools, institutions of additional education, use medical services, receive food – all free of charge.
Fern Horine emphasized that it is important for her to have the maximum possible amount of information and expressed gratitude to Vadim Krasnoselsky for his openness and the opportunity to conduct a dialogue of mutual interest.
