Moldova Suspends Negotiations with Transdniestria
// For Agricultrual Reasons
The Conflict
Yesterday, Moldova announced it was suspending its part in the activities of the Joint Control Commission on leading the peacemaking operation in Transdniestr Region. The demarche was caused by the authorities of the unrecognized Transdniestr Moldovan Republic violating the agreements on free migration of people inside the Security Zone. The new conflict took place right before the GUUAM summit in Chisinau against optimistic statements made by Russian, Ukrainian, and OSCE representatives regarding a possible resumption of negotiations.
The problem of free migration of people and freights within the Security Zone, becomes a regular subject discussed by the Joint Control Commission, when the season for field works begins. The fact of the matter is that seven Moldovan villages have properties on the left bank of Dniestr, which is the territory controlled by Tiraspol authorities. The whole border is lined up by Transdniesteria check-up posts, and farmers are charged export duty for transferring their produce through the border. Until fall of last year, farmers were able to solve this problem on an informal level or simply bypass the border.
However, in October 2005 Transdniestria’s authorities reinforced the borders, closed the by passing routes, and demanded that farmers should register at tax services of Transdniestria. The indignant farmers stormed JCC with letters and started protest movements near the check-points. Moldovan delegation called the check-points illegal as they violated the agreement “On Peaceful Regulation of the Conflict at Transdniestr” signed in 1992. Chisinau demanded that the check-points should be canceled or replaced by the peacemakers’ posts.
Seven months ago JCC tried to solve this problem but had no success. Some compromise seemed to have been reached last week. Although it demanded intervention of Moldova Reintegration Minister Vasily Shova and Transdniestr Foreign Minister Valeri Litkai. As result Chisinau and Tiraspol signed a protocol on free migration of people, freights, and agriculture equipment inside the security zone. The Moldovan party had even agreed to pay Transdniestria a compensation for transferring agricultural produce by 0.18 percent of its value.
However, the following Monday there was information regarding Tiraspol violating the agreements, and new detainments of transportation inside the Security Zone. Because of that Moldova delegation suspended its participation in JCC and addressed OSCE with a request to send a group of international observers to the Republic for monitoring the situation inside the security zone.
Moldova’s representative in JCC told Kommersant that the actions of Transdniestr authorities were another confirmation of their inability to fulfill agreements, and that the Commission had exhausted all mechanisms of influence on the situation. “We hope that the intermission announced by the Moldovan delegation will stimulate the guarantor states and mediators to think on the situation,” he said.
Head of Transdniestria delegation in JCC Alexander Porozhan interpreted the Moldovan announcements as their intentions to liquidate the current format of the peacemaking operations in view of the upcoming GUUAM summit. He said that Moldova was demonstrating the anti-Russian course it had chosen, and was trying to support the legend on “evil separatists,” in order to initiate the bringing of Western military into the Region.
The new wave of tensions in the relations between the left and the right banks of Dniestr took place while Russian, and Ukrainian representatives were meeting with OSCE in Vienna on Tuesday. Both parties announced that there they continued to work on the materials regulating the armaments and trust degrees, and coordinated the option of joining efforts in resuming the negotiations.
Yesterday, Kommersant learned that Reintegration Minister of Moldova Vasily Shova visited Kiev. The Ukrainian Ministry refused to comment on the goal of Shova’s visit. It is very likely that such quick visit of Moldova’s main negotiator on Transdniestrian conflict is directly linked to Ukraine’s intentions to present its own plan of regulating the frozen conflict.
Vladimir Solovyev, Chisinau
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 21, 2005
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