Meeting of the Commander-in-Chief of the PMR Armed Forces Vadim Krasnoselsky with military personnel, cadets and Suvorov military school pupils was held at the Tiraspol Suvorov Military School. They talked about the army, discussed social issues, politics, economics, history, shared opinions, shared memories. Future defenders asked, for example, to whose opinion the future President listened in his youth, as well as how he would have spent the day being free from the leadership of the country. “If such a one-day opportunity happened, I would probably free my mind from all worries and begin to criticize the authorities. Now I can't. I would criticize exactly one day, and then I went back to work,” said the President. Another question from the category of personal is an event that Vadim Krasnoselsky considers to be the most significant, perhaps, fateful. The President considers as such the collapse of the Soviet Union. He is confident that if this had not happened, he would have built a military career after graduating from the Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School. “Despite the fact that I have served in the internal affairs bodies for several decades, I feel like a military man,” the President admitted. He spoke about his feelings and memories associated with the collapse of the country: “The collapse of the Soviet Union changed not only the borders of states, but also the fate of many people. The Kharkov military school for a long time did not come under the jurisdiction of Ukraine. This happened only in 1993. Then the order was given to eliminate all red stars. In front of the main educational building there was a large parade ground, on the side of which stood a large stele, on top of which stood a star. The cadets long sawed this star. This rattle and the sound of metal hitting the asphalt when a star falls - these are my associations with the collapse of the state, a tragic event that caused a lot of conflicts, wars, victims”.
The interlocutors spoke about the allowance of servicemen, noting that its size is still not large enough. “Our task is to year after year, step by step, increase the monetary allowance for servicemen and persons equated to them,” the President emphasized. Answering another question, the President noted that there is a possibility of organizing free public transport in public transport. The issue requires discussion at the legislative level. The proposal to provide preferential loans for the repair of cooperative housing, acquired under the state program in the "gray version" will be considered by the leadership of the country. According to Vadim Krasnoselsky, only 40% of the participants used the credit resources provided for the purchase of apartments, that is, there is a reserve of funds for additional lending.
In a conversation with the Commander-in-Chief, representatives of the armed forces raised the topic of patriotism. Vadim Krasnoselsky noted that it is not enough to tell him classic phrases about patriotism to bring up a true patriot. This is a comprehensive multidisciplinary work. It includes, for example, the army transformations of recent years - the introduction of a working day regime, the provision of the opportunity to combine military conscription with correspondence education at a higher educational institution, the revival of the Army Sports Club, the opening of the Tiraspol Suvorov Military School, the improvement of conditions of service, quality of food and uniforms, improvement level of combat training.
The meeting participants asked the President to assess the role of the church in educational work. It is noted that in recent years, the Pridnestrovian army has established close cooperation with the Tiraspol-Dubossary eparchy. According to Vadim Krasnoselsky, historically, in the Russian Imperial Army people of different faiths always served. After the October Revolution, the President recalled, political workers replaced the priests in the army, who took care of the personnel. “We have to go back to basics, to our faith. This is good. Many Orthodox saints and monks distinguished themselves in battles, for example, on the Kulikovo Field. Faith does not prohibit taking of weapons in hands, is says that homeland should be protected. I welcome your desire to be close to faith,” the Commander-in-Chief noted.
Last year, the PMR Defense Ministry successfully implemented the “Drug Free Army” project. Pridnestrovian servicemen expressed confidence that a person who uses narcotic substances is dangerous for society and doubted his ability to defend the state. At the same time, the President’s interlocutors, noting that alcohol and tobacco products are no less evil, were interested in what was being done at the state level to react distribution. The President emphasized that repressive methods are not enough to change the situation for the better. “As a Minister of the Interior, I paid great attention to the fight against drugs. The whole system of expertise worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Our main achievement is that we have a file on hidden drug addiction. There is practically no such thing as latent drug addiction in Pridnestrovie. Our goal was to put drug addiction outside of society. Society must despise drug use. This is the most effective way. This also applies to the use of alcoholic beverages and smoking. It is necessary for society itself to understand that it is evil. You can build dozens of sobering stations, but there will be no success. There will be more administrative protocols, but people will not give up the bad habit. Only when among young people it will be “cool” to go in for sports, not to drink alcohol, not to smoke, then bad habits will be left. It all depends on the younger generation. It should live with the thought that we must take care of ourselves for our future family and children. Society must be set up. Social advertising, propaganda on television, in groups is necessary, but much depends on you,” Vadim Krasnoselsky summed up.
The servicemen asked about foreign policy. They asked, for example, about the relationship with the Russian Federation - about whether the two states have converged over the past year. “We cannot say that we have become closer or further over the past year. A centuries-old history connects us with Russia. The past year did not bring us closer and did not distance us from Russia. We are connected culturally, historically, connected by the “5 + 2” negotiation format, peacekeeping operation. The question is different. Have you heard us more in the Russian Federation over the past year? Maybe yes. We opened the Official Representative Office of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic in Moscow. The center is constantly working, established and developing contacts. Meetings with colleagues from the State Duma, the Federation Council, the Presidential Administration, the Government of Russia are held with the sole purpose of conveying information about the true state of affairs in Pridnestrovie, what is happening here, what we live for, show our vision, bring the aspirations of the Pridnestrovian people. We are interesting to Russia, including in terms of the economy. We have something to offer the Russian market. I think that over the last year there has been much more reliable information about Pridnestrovie in Russia”.
Answering the question about what prevents the world community from recognizing the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, the PMR President reminded that geopolitical transformations are traditionally associated with disasters. “Russian-Turkish wars affected the borders of our territories. Then there was the First World War, the occupation by the Romanians of Bessarabia - again changing the borders. The October 1917 coup d'état also had an impact. The Second World War and of course the collapse of the Soviet Union made adjustments to our territoriality. I would like the next transformation and recognition of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic not to be connected with a geopolitical catastrophe, so that we deserve recognition not with new blood, but with harmonious development - without violence and aggression. What prevents? Probably some interests. When there was an interest to recognize Kosovo, it was recognized. There was an interest for the Czech Republic and Slovakia to disperse from the world - two separate states were formed without blood, shooting and aggression. I think the time will come when everyone will understand that the best form of preserving peace on the banks of the Dniester is the recognition of Pridnestrovie as a state. This will be a guarantee of democratic processes, human rights and peace in this corner of Europe. While there is no understanding, there is no recognition. But I am convinced that it will be, and something tells me that recognition is not far off. In any case, Pridnestrovian people firmly adhere to the principles of independence and further recognition of the republic,” emphasized Vadim Krasnoselsky.
One of the traditional questions to the President is an alternative to the peacekeeping mission of the Russian Federation in Pridnestrovie? Vadim Krasnoselsky reminded that Pridnestrovie legislation provides for criminal liability for denying the positive role of the Russian peacekeeping mission on the banks of the Dniester. “If there are those in Pridnestrovie who declare publicly that the peacekeeping mission is evil, they will incur criminal liability. Why is that? Because we have to protect what protects us. As long as there is a Russian peacekeeper and peacekeeping mission on the banks of the Dniester, there will be no war here. Of course, it is necessary to keep the powder dry. You want peace, get ready for war. It was not me, great people who invented the words. We have a military. The stability factor is peacekeeping mission. Everyone leads his own political game, follows his own interests. Statements by Moldovan politicians about the need to change the peacekeeping format can have any meaning, except peace. We are committed to the preservation of the peacekeeping operation and will support it in every way,” the President said.
Participants of the meeting paid attention to one of the most discussed topics to date - the election of the President of Ukraine. Vadim Krasnoselsky emphasized that Pridnestrovie will build relations with Ukraine, regardless of who directs it, recalling that this country is the guarantor of the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian settlement, and Ukrainian observers are taking part in the peacekeeping operation. According to Vadim Krasnoselsky, economic Pridnestrovian-Ukrainian contacts are also important.
One of the questions, addressed to the Commander-in-Chief concerned the restoration of historical sites. The talk is about unique section of the so-called “Stalin Line”, which is partly preserved from the times of the Great Patriotic War and consists of numerous permanent fire position of the Tiraspol fortified area. Vadim Krasnoselsky reminded that most of these structures were not involved in the battles. Vadim Krasnoselsky does not consider it right to restore the entire line, pillboxes that were blown up later outside the hostilities. The objects that have survived are, according to the President, symbols of the Great Patriotic War, and they must be treated accordingly.
Continuing the theme of preserving the history and beautification of the country, the President’s interlocutors mentioned volunteer Saturday work, practice of which is being actively revived in Pridnestrovie. It was noted that the President participates together with members of his family. The servicemen asked the President’s opinion on the role of each Pridnestrovian in the improvement of the republic. Vadim Krasnoselsky, citing examples, stated that citizens relate differently to this issue: “They decided to build a park at the dump site in one of the Pridnestrovian cities. The Head of state administration was actively involved in the implementation of the idea, the deputies of the Supreme Council were in favor of its creation. Ads were posted on the houses with a call to take part in the clean-up work on this territory. Residents did not have a desire to equip the park with their own hands. The park of course was built. Today everyone is resting there, everyone likes it. This is an example of how it should not be. A good example was shown by the capital when the head of the state administration of Tiraspol addressed the residents of the city with a proposal to participate in the improvement of the Catherine Park. Despite the fact that it was a working day, almost fifteen hundred people arrived. It’s difficult to do one thing here, beautification and ecology depend on the wishes of everyone. If each of the five hundred thousand citizens of our republic picks up at least one piece of paper or a bottle, there will be less by 500 thousand units of garbage. Everyone should devote some of their personal time to these issues. You can start from your own entrance, improvement of the local area. You cannot assume that someone should come and do it for you. 2019 is declared the Year of Ecology. The year will end, but the ecology will not end and the need to support it. This is daily work. I appreciate the participation of people and I am grateful when I see their response and desire to participate in the preservation of the ecology and improvement of our republic. It is gratifying to observe such a desire among young people. They understand that ecology is important, children will grow here”.
During today's meeting, the servicemen of the Pridnestrovian army and future defenders of the Fatherland received answers to two dozen questions. Summing up the discussion, Vadim Krasnoselsky noted: “I always have respectful attitude to the armed forces, people in uniform, those who devoted their lives to serving the Fatherland in special way. The army must be compact, mobile, understandable, combine urgent and contractual service. It should form a powerful ideological fist. ”The importance of the Commander-in-Chief assigns mobilization readiness not only to the armed forces, but also to the population as a whole. “One of the successes of our army over the past two years was the mobilization of 2017. Of the forty-one thousand summoned people, almost forty thousand came. This experience has shown that the people of Pridnestrovie are patriotic, the society understands its responsibility to the state and is ready to defend the Motherland. It is very important. One can not tear divide army from people or people from army,” summed up the President.
