Commentary by Moldova's Reintegration Policies Bureau on Tiraspol's recent statements

Chisinau, 22 November /MOLDPRES/ - The Reintegration Policies Bureau has issued a commentary on Tiraspol’s recent statements.    

The commentary reads:

„The charges brought by Tiraspol are sent to a wrong address. The energy crisis faced by Moldova, including its Transnistrian region, was not triggered by Chisinau, but by the unjustified decisions of the Russian Gazprom Company, which reduced the volumes of natural gas delivered to the Moldovagaz Company. Thus, the Russian side is responsible for the situation emerged, including of the energy, social and economic crisis in the Transnistrian region. Tiraspol’s approaches must be sent to Moscow, which sacrifices the region by blackmailing Moldova with the energy weapon, just as it did it in 2009.     

During years, the Chisinau authorities have innumerable times warned the Tiraspol administration, as well as the Russian side about the risks created by the energy and economic anomaly on the left bank of Dniester, fueled by the hidden subsidization of the region by Gazprom.

The only solution for overcoming the crisis is to resume the supply of natural gas by Gazprom in the quantities provided for in the contract in force.

On medium term, it is necessary to fully digitalize the economic activities on the left bank of Dniester and to enforce the market economy instruments, including in the energy sector and the one of public utilities. These measures would make the region immune against the external shocks induced by Russia and would result in the economic growth of Moldova and consolidation of the country’s energy sector. The diversification of the energy sources for our country, including for the Transnistrian region, stays priority. The awareness about this  necessity and its acceptance would help Tiraspol efficiently cooperate with Chisinau, in order to overcome the crisis and prevent energy crises in the long run.

As for the freedom of movement, Chisinau has always spoken out for the lift of any obstacles to this end on both banks of Dniester. Namely Tiraspol’s restrictive measures, including the unauthorized control posts, represent the principal hindrance to the fulfillment of this desideratum.  

Neither the accusations dealing with the impediments applied to the importers from the Transnistrian region are true. For the first three quarters of this year, the import of more products in the region is even bigger than in the same period of the 2021 year. We remind also that the import-export operations of the companies from the Transnistrian region are not taxed.    

Hence, we believe that these charges have only one goal – to worsen the political situation in Moldova and in the region, to mislead the public opinion and the foreign partners, eventually preparing the ground for a new provocation, which might endanger the fragile stability which we have managed to keep so far.’’