The meeting of the PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky with the Russian delegation headed by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Andrey Rudenko lasted more than two hours. Most of the conversation took place without the media. Its main participants went to the press to sum up the results of the meeting and answer questions from journalists at the end of the discussion.
Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation:
For the first time in my biography, including in the position of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, I visited your amazing region where hospitable people live. We continued to exchange views with Vadim Nikolayevich on the most pressing issues of developing trade and economic cooperation, cultural and humanitarian ties between Pridnestrovie and the Russian Federation. There are many problems, but we are confident with our Pridnestrovian colleagues that they will be resolved in the interests of the population of both the Russian Federation and Pridnestrovie.
We discussed in detail the process of settling the Pridnestrovian issue, stressed the importance and non-alternativeness of the key format (this is the “5 + 2” format, where Russia and other states participate as guarantors and mediators). We consider that the stalling of the settlement process that we observed in past years should come to an end. We still expect this year that the work of the 5+2 format and the process of a comprehensive settlement will be resumed on a systemic planned basis in principle, and we will hold several meetings this year. We hope that we will be able to achieve success along this path.
The moment that I would like to highlight in particular is that this year we are celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the start of the peacekeeping operation. You see (I saw this personally when I met with representatives of Russian peacekeepers in Bendery) what role this operation plays in maintaining peace and security on both banks of the Dniester. This is especially important in these turbulent times. You see the processes that are taking place both around Russia and in Moscow's relations with the West. We hope that this operation will continue to contribute to the stabilization of the situation.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
I will single out three main areas of our negotiations with Andrey Yuryevich: geopolitical, Moldo-Pridnestrovian and Pridnestrovian-Russian.
As for the geopolitical direction: we are adherents of peace. Pridnestrovie is not a territory of aggression, never has been and never will be. Therefore, all the speculations that exist around us, they have extraneous soil. This year we will celebrate a good date – 30 years of Russian peacekeeping on the banks of the Dniester. We were able to achieve peace in the Pridnestrovian land, to prevent war and the death of civilians thanks to this mechanism.
As for the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian relations, Russia is the guarantor of the 5+2 format, and Andrey Yuryevich confirmed his commitment to this particular format. It is very important. We agreed that the 5+2 format has existed formally for the third year already, but in practice it does not work. It seems that the Moldovan side wants to resume this format and hold its meeting, maybe this spring. Of course, there are questions to the agenda. I consider that the main concept of the 5+2 format is the implementation of the agreements reached earlier.
The next direction is Pridnestrovian-Russian relations. This is a wide range: both military cooperation – peacekeeping mission, political cooperation in the 5+2 format, economic cooperation, humanitarian, cultural, educational.
We focused on the work of the consular post. This is a big problem today for Russian citizens living in the territory of Pridnestrovie. There are objective reasons why this happened of course. Naturally, the pandemic has had an impact. To date, the queue is 14000 people, those who need to change their passport or some other documents. This problem needs to be addressed. Andrey Yuryevich confirmed the position of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation that this problem will be resolved soon as I understand it, and additional personnel should come here to solve the problems. There is also a problem with obtaining Russian citizenship by compatriots living in the territory of Pridnestrovie. This issue is more legal. We will wait for the legislative decision in Russia.
Andrey Yuryevich, thank you for finding the opportunity to come to us in Pridnestrovie in difficult times. Pridnestrovie is an interesting land, we are self-sufficient in many ways, we have good industry, good land, good ecology, air, and most importantly, good people who want to live here, love Russia, live love for Russia. Of course, I want to thank the Russian Federation for its peacekeeping. Peace is the basis, without peace there will be nothing. This year we will celebrate a very important date – the 30th anniversary of peacekeeping. I invite you to visit Pridnestrovie on this holiday.
Nikita Kondratov, PGTRK:
The President of Moldova Maia Sandu declared recently that Moldova is a peaceful state and called on everyone to peace. Vadim Nikolaevich, how would you comment on this statement?
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President:
I welcome this statement by Mrs. Sandu. Peace is the basis of course and I am glad that the aspiration of the President of Moldova is precisely in peace. But statements are probably not enough. Peace is not only when gun shots are not heard, peace is when there are no blockade restrictions, when human rights, including the rights of Pridnestrovians, are not violated. When previously reached agreements, obligations are fulfilled are also peace. Therefore, if we are talking about the world from the point of view of the military component, this is one thing, but I am talking about the world in a broader sense. I think that if Mrs. Sandu speaks about peace, she should also keep in mind other components: human rights, and the rights of our economic entities, and the rights of Pridnestrovie as a whole.
Svetlana Tsvetkova, TSV:
Andrei Yuryevich, today it was said about the work of the consular post in Tiraspol. This issue worries the Pridnestrovian Russians the most. How soon will there be progress? Is there any hope that its work will be more active in the near future.
Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation:
I hope so. If you watched the work of our State Duma, then you know that this question was asked to Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov by the deputies. Clear guarantees were given that we would do everything necessary in the near future so that the accumulated queue would “dissolve” (I use this non-parliamentary expression), and all issues related to the pandemic, which left such a bad imprint on the stability of the work of this point, would be resolved. The decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already been made: additional technical staff will arrive here to help cope with the accumulated volume of work related to the renewal of passports, the legalization of documents, and notaries. We will do everything in our power. We know how acute this problem is. Vadim Nikolayevich has repeatedly spoken about this not only today, but over the past year. Unfortunately, an unfavorable situation has developed due to the coronavirus. Nevertheless, we see that there are actual prospects. I will not talk about specific dates. All necessary decisions have been made.
Yulia Sorokopud, MIA Sputnik:
Andrei Yurievich, you visited Chisinau and Tiraspol. Maybe there are issues on which the Pridnestrovian and Moldovan sides agree?
Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation:
Yesterday we had good talks with Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu and Mr. Bolbocean. We managed to meet with the newly appointed political representative of Moldova in the 5+2 format, Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian.
What is common: both Chisinau and Tiraspol are ready (at least, as it was stated) to take a constructive approach to the process of resuming negotiations in the 5 + 2 format and on some other “tracks”.
Considering that the 5+2 format is a key, central negotiating platform, the Russian Federation for its part will render every possible assistance so that these negotiations lead to some actual result.
