MOLDPRES INTERVIEW // Moldovan deputy PM for reintegration: “Reintegration cannot happen through a single decision. Citizens must feel that moving closer to the right bank brings them benefits”

The reintegration of Moldova cannot be achieved through a single decision, but is a complex process that involves strengthening institutions, addressing security issues and gradually bringing the Transnistrian region closer to the country’s economic, educational and legal space. In an exclusive interview given with MOLDPRES, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Valeriu Chiveri discusses the main directions of the reintegration process, Chișinău’s position on the withdrawal of Russian troops and the demilitarization of the region, as well as the gradual integration of economic operators from the left bank of the Dniester into the national legal framework.

The official emphasizes that the success of reintegration must be measured, first and foremost, by the tangible benefits felt by citizens. In the context, schools providing education in Romanian play an important role, representing an essential link with the educational and institutional space of Moldova, as does the creation of an environment in which people from the region can see real opportunities and advantages in moving closer to the right bank. Valeriu Chiveri explains to MOLDPRES how this attractiveness can be strengthened and why reintegration must be built gradually, through measures that bring people and communities closer together.

MOLDPRES: Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, given the current security context and the fact that the 5+2 format is no longer working, what is Chișinău’s approach today? How prepared is Moldova for a process of economic, social, and institutional reintegration?

Valeriu Chiveri: I believe we must start from the reality we face today. Under the current circumstances, the 5+2 format is no longer functional. But this does not mean that the settlement process should be put on hold. On the contrary, we believe that we must use all instruments currently available that can produce concrete results for citizens.

At this moment, the functional channel for direct communication with Tiraspol is the 1+1 format. Of course, it cannot replace an international settlement mechanism, but it allows us to discuss concrete issues with representatives of the country’s eastern region.

At the same time, we must also prepare for the reintegration process. In the context, we are talking not only about legislation or institutions. We are talking, first and foremost, about people, the economy, education, public services and infrastructure.

We must understand that reintegration cannot happen through a single decision. It is a broader process, and we must have the institutional capacity to manage it when the necessary conditions arise, for the benefit of citizens on both the right and left banks of the Dniester.

MOLDPRES: An Intelligence and Security Service report shows that only 2,800 out the 14,000 tons of ammunition in Cobasna contain an actual explosive charge. How do these figures change Chișinău’s position regarding demilitarization and the withdrawal of Russian troops?

Valeriu Chiveri: It is undoubtedly an important issue, but it is also necessary to bear in mind that this process goes beyond the sphere of responsibility of those of us who directly manage the reintegration file.

It is also important to make a clear distinction here and address the two aspects separately, since we are dealing with distinct mechanisms. There is a technical dimension of the issue, concerning the quantity, condition and nature of the ammunition stored there. But there is also a security dimension, which is of major importance.

For Moldova, the issue is very clear: the presence of foreign troops on our territory and the existence of weapons depots outside the control of the constitutional authorities represent a security problem, and our principled position stays unchanged. We advocate the withdrawal of Russian troops and the demilitarization of the region.

At the same time, I believe it is important for these issues to be addressed responsibly and technically, including together with our international partners.

MOLDPRES: Moldova has made progress in bringing economic operators from the left bank of the Dniester into the national legal framework. What are the next steps toward economic integration?

Valeriu Chiveri: I believe this is one of the most important examples of gradual integration.

If we look at recent years, we can see that an increasing number of economic operators from the region are interacting with the institutions of Moldova and operating within the national legal framework.

This is important not only from an economic standpoint. It is also important, as it creates institutional and social ties.

Starting from September 1, we are also entering a new stage regarding the application of the national tax regime to goods introduced by economic operators from the region. It is important for such measures to be implemented gradually and responsibly, taking into account both their impact on people and their effects on the business environment.

We do not intend to create shocks; our primary concern is people.

The objective is to gradually build a common economic space. And I believe that the economy can be one of the components that prepares the ground for broader reintegration.

MOLDPRES: Some of these resources are to be directed to the Convergence Fund. What exactly is this fund, and what will it change for people of the region?

Valeriu Chiveri: The Convergence Fund must, above all, be an instrument for citizens.

We must not view reintegration solely as an institutional process. Ultimately, citizens must feel that moving closer to the right bank brings them tangible benefits. This means infrastructure, public services, education, healthcare and local projects.

Of course, for this to work, we need very clear rules. There must be criteria, transparency and monitoring, and oversight mechanisms. Here, we also greatly hope for the support and contribution of our partners.

I would say that the Convergence Fund should not be viewed as a financial instrument in itself. It should be an instrument for bringing the two banks closer together.

MOLDPRES: Respect for fundamental rights and freedoms remains one of the most sensitive issues. What are the main violations and how did the new school year begin in institutions providing education in Romanian?

Valeriu Chiveri: It is indeed a very sensitive issue and one of our priorities.

Unfortunately, people of the region continue to face cases of unlawful deprivation of liberty, pressure exerted on certain individuals and difficulties in exercising certain rights and accessing services. These cases are documented and addressed, within the limits of our powers, through the mechanisms and instruments available to us.

Regarding schools providing education in Romanian, it is very important to us that they be able to operate under normal conditions.

In fact, on September 1, representatives of the Reintegration Policies Bureau were present in the region, including in Rabnita. We considered it important to be there at the beginning of the school year, to speak with students, teachers and parents, and to see the situation firsthand. I take this opportunity to once again express our full appreciation and gratitude for the courage, determination and consistency with which they carry out their work under extremely difficult conditions.

For us, these schools are not merely educational institutions. They represent a very important link between citizens and the educational and institutional space of Moldova. We must do everything we can, in order to ensure that students are not placed in the position of having to choose between education and their identity.

Ultimately, education is one of the most effective instruments of reintegration. We must build this reintegration from the ground up, through people, education, services and opportunities.

MOLDPRES: Following the simplification of procedures for getting a Russian passport, is there data on the number of people from the left bank of the Dniester who have acquired Russian citizenship? To what extent does this phenomenon counterbalance the fact that more than 90 per cent of the region’s population already holds Moldovan citizenship?

Valeriu Chiveri: We must be very careful with the figures and how they are interpreted. Yes, there are people in the region who hold citizenship of the Russian Federation. This is a reality we are aware of.

At the same time, the overwhelming majority of the region’s population holds Moldovan citizenship.

And I believe that we must focus on what is truly important here.

Citizenship should not be viewed merely as a document. It is a relationship between the citizen and the state, and this relationship is strengthened when citizens have access to education, healthcare, the labor market, public services and economic opportunities.

That is why, it is important to continue strengthening the attractiveness of Moldova for its citizens from the region. We are already seeing progress in this regard, and I believe that this closer connection represents one of the most effective responses we can provide.

MOLDPRES: When could the next meeting in the 1+1 format take place and what will the agenda be? How do you assess the current dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol?

Valeriu Chiveri: We have expressed our readiness to organize a new meeting and remain open to dialogue. We are optimistic and hope that, on the coming period, the necessary conditions will be created for it to take place within a foreseeable timeframe.

Obviously, the dialogue is complicated. We should not hide this fact. There are significant differences in positions, and there are issues on which we do not and cannot have the same view, given the well-known hostility of the so-called Tiraspol administration, which boosted further with the gradual introduction of the value added tax (VAT) on goods from the left bank of Dniester.

But we must maintain communication, because the agenda we are pursuing must be pragmatic. We need to discuss people’s problems, freedom of movement, human rights, education, economic issues and mechanisms that can contribute to bringing the two banks closer together.

I do not believe we should wait for the final political settlement, in order to address the concrete problems faced by citizens. Reintegration has already begun, gradually, through measures that bring people closer and improve their everyday lives. The tens of thousands of people from the left bank of the Dniester who work, study, use services or develop their businesses on the right bank understand very well, from their own experience, the benefits of this closer connection and the opportunities provided by Moldova.

Our goal stays quite clear: the reintegration of Moldova based on sovereignty and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders. This objective must be built through concrete steps.

Ultimately, if in some time we can say that a citizen from the left bank has more opportunities, better access to services and more rights than they have today, then it will mean that the reintegration process has delivered results and that people have benefited from it.

More than 300,000 people live in the Transnistrian region. As of June 30, 2026, the registers of the Public Services Agency listed 2,492 economic operators from the region and the municipality of Bender, of which 461 had permanent registration and 2,031 - temporary registration. Eight schools providing education in Romanian operate in the region.