The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky answered questions of Pridnestrovian TV channels journalists. Media representatives asked the opinion of the President of the Pridnestrovian state on the significance of the participation of the Head of the Official Representation of Pridnestrovie in Moscow at the 40th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Leonid Manakov spoke at the United Nations with a report on the statehood of Pridnestrovie as a guarantee of respect for human rights and freedoms.
Lydia Salkutsan, First Pridnestrovian TV Channel: Not so long ago, the head of the Official Representative Office of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic in Moscow Leonid Manakov took part in the UN conference in Geneva, declared the position of Pridnestrovie, told about us. Why did we go, why did Leonid Manakov take part in the conference, and how important is this?
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President: To begin with, the visit of Leonid Afanasyevich Manakov, our representative in Moscow, was not accidental. Participation in the UN conference was held at the invitation of Pridnestrovie by the United Nations. I recall the chronology. The visit of Leonid Manakov is a consequence of the events that began in September 2017, when I as the PMR President appealed to the UN Secretary General to consider giving a special status to Pridnestrovie. There is such international form. There is an example - Palestine. Palestine and Pridnestrovie, in my opinion, are incomparable. We are far ahead in terms of the development of democracy, government institutions and the economy. Nevertheless, Palestine has this status, but we don’t. Therefore, based on this example, we turned to the UN with a request to grant special status to Pridnestrovie. In addition, we asked the Secretary-General that the United Nations should provide Pridnestrovie with a platform for communicating information about what constitutes our republic, what is happening here, including in the area of human rights. We were heard. I can reveal some details. When forming the agenda, defining the main issues that the UN was to consider in 2018, one of the 12 included the issue of Pridnestrovie. The dialogue has started. In addition, UN representatives constantly come to the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. The UN human rights senior expert Thomas Hammarberg has repeatedly visited Pridnestrovie. He spoke with me more than once as President, with representatives of the PMR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and civil society. He draws conclusions about the quality of observance of human rights, national minorities, people with special needs in Pridnestrovie. As you know, his reviews are positive. The expert says that Pridnestrovie moves forward, and that we can be an example for our neighbors. His assessment deserves attention and respect, and we accept it. In addition, I want to remind you that Pridnestrovian legislation implemented all international human rights instruments. We strictly observe, that was confirmed by Thomas Hammarberg. In the development of our relations, Leonid Manakov was invited to Geneva at the 40th session of the UN on human rights and made a presentation on how they are observed in Pridnestrovie - in the difficult conditions of our state. At the end of his speech, he concluded that the rights of representatives of all nationalities living in the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and other categories of citizens can be observed only in case of Pridnestrovian statehood. Of course, special status in the UN can be obtained, and we are moving towards this, but this is an algorithm, these are points that must be fulfilled.
As I have already said, we strive to make Pridnestrovie attractive. For us to be a source of real information, not distorted, all sorts of horror stories about armed people, tanks and airplanes. This is a lie that is distributed by those who benefit from presenting Pridnestrovie in shades of gray. Pridnestrovie is a democratic state. We have created all the institutions of power, we respect human rights, and most importantly, we think about person. The Pridnestrovian people are established community. One of the concepts of development of the republic is the construction of a socially oriented state with a market form of the economy, i.e. the state works for the people, and we have to show it. We should be interesting, including for investors. Now we are developing tourism. The attendance of Pridnestrovie by tourists from far abroad has seriously increased. All this must be shown to the world community. The UN is probably the most suitable for this. Obtaining a special status is the next stage. Our goal is the development of international contacts. After opening representative office in Moscow, I set the task of opening similar representative offices in Kiev, since Ukraine is a guarantor in the negotiation process and in Brussels, because the European Union is one of partners of Pridnestrovie in export-import operations and an observer in the “5 + 2".
Pridnestrovie in 2018 took the initiative to address the accumulated humanitarian issues that prevented us from developing our relations with Moldova. We solve this. The negotiation process is in progress. This is more than a dozen questions. Of course, there are problems, but this is a negotiation process, a compromise. The compromise is a movement towards each other. I hope that the movement will not stop. The most important goal is international recognition of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, to which we have every right - both legal and factual.
Konstantin Topalov, TSV: Special Representative spoke at the UN. Has there been any reaction from the foreign partners, and how much does this performance promote Pridnestrovie along the path of recognition?
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President: Some European media covered the visit and Leonid Manakov’s speech at the UN, noting that this was the first time, and it was very interesting. Everyone is interested in how to survive in conditions of non-recognition for the past 30 years, how people live, what conditions are created, how human rights are observed, how the economy develops. I think there is interest, and it will increase. I can say that this is not the last performance on the UN platform: we receive invitations and we implement it. The world will learn more about Pridnestrovie.
Konstantin Topalov, TSV: Speech is the next step towards recognition? Big or small? If you say that we will constantly perform, are we in the rut of constant presence at the largest international platform of a well-known and reputable organization?
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President: Recognition cannot fall like snow on the head. You cannot wake up as recognized state. This is the difficult work of the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the entire people of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. We must use all possible sites, and the UN is one of the most efficient. It will allow us to bring information about Pridnestrovie. We must show that we are honest, open, that you can deal with us in all aspects. Pridnestrovie is not apart from the world, we are part of international relations. Therefore, the UN site is interesting to us in order to show who we really are, to break the misconception about Pridnestrovie, which still exists outside the republic.
Lydia Salcutsan, First Pridnestrovian TV Channel: Has Pridnestrovie a plan how to achieve recognition?
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the PMR President: Of course. Essentially, the entire Development Strategy of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, approved on December 12 of last year, is a plan of action to recognize our state. After all, it is impossible to work only from the point of view of the international vector. This is a great work. Every official, every citizen contributes to the recognition of the republic. We have an active dialogue with civil society, to whom I also set certain tasks, counting on them. The word of the public is very important.
