Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
Vadim Nikolayevich, the negotiation process is 30 years old. Question is the following: what are negotiations for? Everything can be solved in a different way.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
It’s possible, probably, but it doesn’t work well, based on the examples that we observe – both recently and historically. Negotiation processes are the key to peaceful coexistence of all states and all peoples. This is the basic component. Everything else is closer to war, to escalation, to blackmail, to pressure, and so on. The negotiation process is the basis of the UN Charter and all other international documents in fact, that is it is a chance, an opportunity for people to agree on pressing problems. The system of international relations was built thanks to negotiation process, through the achievement of consensus. Everything else is escalation, conflicts, is war, when there are no negotiations, I say it again. There are many examples of this.
Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
Vadim Nikolayevich, negotiations between Pridnestrovie and Moldova began 30 years ago in 1994. How did this happen?
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
The starting point for the long journey called “the negotiation process between Moldova and Pridnestrovie” was the war. People died. This is the aggression of the nationalists of Moldova against Pridnestrovie. It is a fact. This was 1992. This included military units and military formations. But this is a separate topic for discussion.
You said correctly, exactly 30 years ago, on April 28, 1994, there was a statement by two presidents – the President of Moldova and the President of Pridnestrovie – about the beginning of a peaceful dialogue. Certain principles were laid down in this document. The parties followed these principles up to a certain time. There were other important documents signed. We can highlight the Moscow Memorandum dated 1997, signed by two presidents. There were a lot of minor documents signed at the ministerial level of both sides. There was a plan of Kozak, which was failed by the Moldovan side. There were agreements on the “Berlin”, “Berlin Plus” agreements in 2016. In principle, all these documents spoke about the negotiation process and about reaching compromises between Moldova and Pridnestrovie. The “5+2” format was created, which included (or includes, I don’t know what to say today) Moldova, Pridnestrovie, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the OSCE, the USA and the European Union – that is, essentially cases, almost half the globe, I remind you. This format was aimed at achieving the goals of the negotiation process, at creating a sustainable peace here, normal economic relations and respect for human rights. Unfortunately, Moldova has withdrawn de facto from all the peace agreements that I mentioned earlier. It doesn't fulfill them. On the contrary, Moldova switched to pressure, to blackmail, to economic pressure, political pressure, taking advantage of the fact that there is an external factor, unfortunately, there is a war in Ukraine. Taking advantage of this moment, Moldova is not considering further possible participation in the “5+2” format. These are statements by their politicians, their officials. There was a transition to primitive pressure on Pridnestrovie. Moldova in fact violates previously reached agreements, almost all of them – by 97-98 percent. We were counting. These are not empty words. Bringing it back to the negotiating table and asking about what was not completed seems very difficult, in fact.
Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
They are very actively speculating in Chisinau on negotiations with Pridnestrovie. Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova for the so-called reintegration Oleg Serebrian said that the majority of Romanians live in Grigoriopol. Was it he who made a mistake, or was this specifically said? This was said on the air of a Romanian TV channel moreover.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
No, Oleg Serebrian is not one of those who makes such mistakes, it seems to me. I think that this was deliberate, and I will tell you what it was actually aimed at. I will continue it, since Oleg Serebrian himself touched on the topic of people living here. I'll start with what shapes the people. The people are formed by language, literature classical and not only, traditions, customs and so on. Poland – Polish language, Ukraine – Ukrainian, Russia – Russian. Everything is clear in principle. You can give a lot of examples. Romania – Romanian language. No questions. This is their choice. There is no criticism. Let them decide for themselves. Language shapes people. The language is like the people. Whether someone likes it or not. We can say based on this, that over the more than 30-year history of modern Moldova, historical Bessarabia, a new Romanian people has been formed – Romanian Bessarabians or Moldavian Romanians. I don't know how to call. That is, as Oleg Serebrian says, Romanians live in Moldova. There is no questions. It is their choice, I say again. Let them bear their historical responsibility for their choice. As for Pridnestrovie: what kind of people live here?
Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
Multinational.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
Multinational. What if they choose? Only Russian people? No. Ukrainian people? No. Moldovan people? No. Gagauz, Bulgarian, Polish, German, Jewish, maybe even Romanian to some extent, some small percentage? But no, of course not. The Pridnestrovian multinational people live here, which were historically formed not in the last thirty years. It was put together by Catherine the Great. I would like to remind Mr. Serebrian, he knows history well, that it was Catherine the Great, Catherine II, when these lands finally went to the Russian Empire, who invited all peoples to move here, to this region. It was deserted. Catherine gave the most important thing – freedom and land. There was never serfdom here as such. Moldovan settlements, which have the same date of formation as the city of Tiraspol, are proof of this. After the Treaty of Iasi, the Ottoman Porte bordered the Russian Empire along the Dniester, and many Moldovans left the territory of Bessarabia and moved to the left bank under the protection of the crown of the Russian Empire, under the protection of Catherine II. Thus, Moldovans appeared here at the invitation of Russia as part of the Pridnestrovian people. The multinational Pridnestrovian people began to live here from that moment on. Today it has 72 nationalities and nationalities, 72 ethnic groups.
Decades and centuries passed, and the state structure of this territory changed, but the people remained. Both under the Russian Empire, under the Soviet Union, and under Pridnestrovie. Therefore, Pridnestrovie did not invent the Pridnestrovian people, this has developed over centuries here, on the territory of Pridnestrovie. I can say for sure that the Pridnestrovian people were formed here.
Let's return to the Declaration of Independence of Moldova once again. The Declaration of Independence of Moldova confirmed the equality of peoples in terms of their right to self-determination – in accordance with the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and international law. What is Mr. Serebrian doing? He is trying to neutralize the concept of “Pridnestrovian people”, saying that the Romanian people live here. The Romanian people have never lived here, Mr. Serebrian and all other officials of Moldova. There have never been Romanian people on the territory of the left bank. There have always been multinational people here.
I say once again that we are not against the Romanian people. We have five Romanian schools where those who consider themselves Romanians study. No questions. This is 1-1.5% of the population of Pridnestrovie. Pridnestrovie has a multinational people who have the right to their own language, their history, their traditions, their future in general. We have 167 secondary schools. They speak Russian, Moldavian, and Ukrainian in these schools. Do you understand? That's all. The fact remains.
The attempt to steal the concept of “Pridnestrovian people” and nullify it is a very long-range strategy. Everyone sees this, not just me. Do you understand? If there are no people, there is no self-determination. Everything is clear. There are Romanian people in Moldova because they have the Romanian language. Let me remind you once again that the Moldovan language was excluded from the international register of languages in 2008. There is a register of languages that lists the languages of the whole world, even the languages spoken by three mountain villages, figuratively speaking. There is no Moldovan language there – only Romanian. No one has raised this issue since 2008. Everyone was silent. All the presidents were quietly silent. All this was taken for granted. Romanian – just think, what’s the problem? Or maybe not a problem, for God's sake. A new Romanian nation was formed. Nobody minds. We have formed the Pridnestrovian people. This is a fact that must be taken into account.
Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
...which also preserved the Moldovan language.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
Yes, we are the only country in the world where the Moldovan language has been preserved. It is a fact. This is a separate topic for discussion.
Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
Perhaps Moldova will one day say thank you for preserving their language.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
We don't expect gratitude. This is historical justice. The Romanian language has the right to exist, and the Moldovan language has the right to exist. That's how I see it. This is a separate topic for discussion, I say again.
Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
Vadim Nikolayevich, another statement that Moldovan politicians repeat like a mantra, that the solution to the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian issue is possible only within Moldova, no autonomy, unitary Moldova. How would you comment on this?
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
Negative. I'll explain why. Moldovan politicians very often change their views on things in general. Some presidents talked about a confederation, other presidents talked about a federation, some talked about a special status, and they are talking about a unitary Moldova. Let them talk as they please for God's sake. We need to ask the people what they want, to hold a referendum. The people will express what they want to see on the territory of Pridnestrovie, and only the people. Therefore, these statements are an empty phrase for me personally. This is the path to nowhere, this is the path to escalation, to pressure. That's all.
Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
The people of Pridnestrovie are not listened and heard in Chisinau. Meanwhile, news appeared in the media and on social networks that a forum will be held on April 11 where the future of Pridnestrovie and the so-called reintegration with Moldova will be discussed. Everyone was invited there except Pridnestrovie and Russia. Why? How can the issue of the Pridnestrovian future be resolved without Pridnestrovie and without one guarantor of the negotiation process?
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
They want to completely trample the “5+2” format with this forum, in my opinion. Finally. They want to take it and trample, and do it like show trial. This is the first point. This conclusion can be made based on the information available in the media. I think that with this forum on the so-called reintegration they want to legitimize measures of pressure on Pridnestrovie, economic and political blackmail, make it the norm. To give carte blanche for further escalation of the conflict. Those who conceived this forum do not think about peace, they think about escalating the conflict, I am deeply convinced of this. It is enough to familiarize yourself with the paragraphs indicated there. There will still be such a “last supper” – some kind of closed regime in continuation of this forum. I guess they won't talk about peace there. The fact that this is an end to the negotiation process with Pridnestrovie. They put paid to it, they want to legitimize it, and this is very dangerous in fact.
Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
That is, put everything that is happening on paper?
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
Yes, sure. I am meeting with diplomats, there will be new meetings soon. We are saying that economic pressure is unacceptable, blackmail is unacceptable, and violation of human rights is unacceptable. Everyone wants to make this acceptable. Do you understand? I have already said once why Western democracy, as they call it, is not interested in the fate of 500 thousand people – Pridnestrovians, the Pridnestrovian people, 500 thousand citizens living here. Why is this happening? It is not right. All this democracy is really worthless then. Democracy is the voice of the people. People have completely forgotten the meaning of the word “democracy”. Democracy is the power of the people. The people must choose their government, this is how it is done everywhere naturally, including here. As for Pridnestrovie, “this is completely different” they say. No, not completely different. The leadership of Pridnestrovie, me personally, the entire Pridnestrovian people – we think about peace. Exclusively about peace. The negotiation process must be continued, solving the problems of peaceful coexistence, resolving economic problems, respecting human rights, etc. Do you understand? I see that everything is somehow going in the wrong direction, completely wrong.
Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
Is everything bad or is there still some optimism in the negotiations a hope that constructiveness will return to the dialogue between Pridnestrovie and Moldova? Is it inappropriate to talk about this at the moment?
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
Hope is the last to die. I hope for the continuation of the negotiation process, I always declare this, I talk about this, I adhere to this doctrine. I cannot force anyone to sit at the negotiating table, but nevertheless there is hope, of course, there is. Politicians should work for this by and large. The world is changing, and a possible spiral change in the world order will naturally affect both Moldova and Pridnestrovie. The parties will still sit down at the negotiating table sooner or later, there is no doubt. We are ready for this. There are no negotiations, there is only an imitation of negotiations in reality today: some meetings, some conversations that do not solve anything. The forum, which is scheduled to take place on April 11, is aimed at legitimizing pressure on Pridnestrovie – and this is very bad.
Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
Vadim Nikolayevich, it turns out that except for Russia all other mediators and observers in the negotiations act as lawyers for Moldova and silently encourage what Chisinau is doing - putting pressure on Pridnestrovie.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
Yes, it seems that Moldova, many participants in the negotiation process, those who will participate in the designated forum, are juggling burning torches (this is the negotiation process) in a powder magazine (which I presented as the world order). This is a dangerous thing. You could miss this torch and set the whole world on fire. I always said: don’t touch Pridnestrovie. Escalation in Pridnestrovie is the path to war, possibly to world war. Many people understand this, by the way. Many pretend that this is something incredible. No, everything is possible. I’ll be honest, I still count on the common sense of all participants in the negotiation process, all participants in the “5+2” format. Let them think about the future, and not just about today and how to strangle Pridnestrovie. This is a road to nowhere.
Nikita Kondratov, First Pridnestrovian TV channel:
Let's hope for the best and hope that common sense will still prevail, as you say.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
God willing.
