Tiraspol, 24 October. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. In an effort to develop a new framework and principles of the settlement of the Moldo-Pridnestrovian conflict, Moldova is trying to shut itself away from the negotiating process, Pridnestrovie's foreign minister Vitaly Ignatyev said in an interview with the Kommersant daily.
«This reminds me of an episode in Gogol's Viy where the main character draws a chalk line around himself. The Moldovan side is trying to shut itself from the negotiating process and from all the participants, including Pridnestrovie, just to avoid working within the paradigm that has been agreed upon, to avoid executing the agreements they sign," he said. The diplomat particularly underscored that no one had forced Moldova to sign the existing agreements.
According to Vitaly Ignatyev, a common idea that the conflict settlement does not actually depend on the conflict sides, i.e. Tiraspol and Kishinev, as the conflict affects the interests of larger and more powerful states is not correct. «But if Kishinev decides tomorrow to recognise the independence of Pridnestrovie and we sign a friendship and cooperation agreement, who will be able to prevent us from doing that? Who will not recognise this decision?» asks the minister.
Vitaly Ignatyev underscored that the 26 years of Pridnestrovie's independence is a fairly serious period during which considerable changes had occurred in both international and regional processes, which is impossible to ignore. «These factors suggest that there is no other alternative to admitting the accomplished fact of Pridnestrovie's existence," said the diplomat.
According to Vitaly Ignatyev, recognising Pridnestrovie is what the country’s MFA tries to convince the country's international partners, including the Russian Federation, to do. At the same time, Pridnestrovie pursues the policy of Eurasian integration, working on the harmonisation of the country's laws with Russian legislation.
«We are not talking about tracing over the Russian legislative system and implementing it here. No. We are saying there are rules and principles governing certain systems of the legal relationship of citizens that can and should be implemented in Pridnestrovie," said the minister.
According to the diplomat, all international participants will eventually welcome a fair peaceful settlement of the conflict based on the recognition of Pridnestrovie's independence and sovereignty.
