Tiraspol, 15 June. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The negotiation agenda must be full of substantive results, otherwise Pridnestrovian citizens will not understand the negotiation's appropriateness, President Yevgeny Shevchuk said in an interview with Russia's Argumenty i Fakty.
The head of state confirmed that Pridnestrovie is experiencing considerable pressure on the part of Moldova and Ukraine and to overcome this situation all negotiation participants must show their political will.
«First of all, this [showing will] refers to our neighbours — Moldova and Ukraine, as well as guarantor states. The Russian Federation has this political will. Despite existing political contradictions, it is aimed at resolving the problems of socio-economic interaction between the countries, so that Pridnestrovie's population could earn on its own. We have already voiced this clear and transparent logic within the so-called small steps tactics in the negotiation process. But, unfortunately, not all of our partners support this tactics.
According to the president, several factors prevent progress in this area, among which are political instability and frequent changes of Moldovan negotiators, a Moldova-EU association agreement which does not take account for Pridenstrovie's interests, pressure exerted on Pridnestrovian citizens by Moldovan law enforcers.
«In the past two years the Moldovan authorities have initiated a series of criminal cases against Pridnestrovian law enforcers, businessmen, public officials. Nearly 200 cases altogether, based on which a number of citizens were arrested, put on wanted lists and detained all over the world. This affects and undermines a climate of trust at any negotiation platform. It is due to this in many respects the 5+2 format talks have not brought fruit up to now," noted Yevgeny Shevchuk.
Besides, according to the president, a number of western experts also advocate the tactics of putting economic pressure on Pridnestrovie. Owing to this factors, Yevgeny Shevchuk feels less optimistic than diplomats about the results of the 5+2 format negotiations which took place in early June.
«We are expecting practical results that can be assumed as a basis for solutions which would discover opportunities for our economy, so that the population would also feel the positive results of these negotiations. If we do not fill the negotiation agenda with practical results, it will be merely impossible to explain the appropriateness of the negotiations to ordinary citizens," the newspaper cites the president as saying.
«Of course, I share this optimism that the meeting took place and certain proposals were voiced. I hope very much, therefore, that Moldova's leadership will transform its words into specific acts, so that everyone could see specific results," concluded Yevgeny Shevchuk.
