Experts: The Transnistrian conflict is no obstacle to Moldova’s EU accession
Over three decades after the Nistru War, officials are warning of the growing impact of the Russian Federation's "cognitive war" against the Republic of Moldova. They have also called for the withdrawal of troops that are illegally stationed on the left bank of the Nistru River.
At the same time, experts argue that the authorities in Chisinau still lack sufficient legal levers to ensure respect for human rights and freedoms in the Transnistrian region, but the convergence fund will facilitate economic integration and increase social well-being in the region. The Transnistrian conflict is not an impediment to European integration, they comment.
Peace and freedom are again threatened, through " propaganda, manipulation and disinformation", declared President Maia Sandu at the solemn rally organized on the Day of Memory and Gratitude. The head of state also said that both in 1992, in the Republic of Moldova, and today in Ukraine, the aggressor is Russia, and our country continues to face a "cognitive war". In this context, Maia Sandu called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Transnistrian region.
In turn, the Speaker of the Parliament, Igor Grosu, emphasized the illegality of the stationed troops and the importance of commemorating the victims of the Nistru war.
Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu reiterated that the Transnistrian region is a part of the Republic of Moldova, and now the people on the left bank have the chance to anchor themselves, together with the rest of the country, in the European Union.
The legal instruments for ensuring respect for human rights in the Transnistrian region are insufficient, which is why the authorities in Chisinau are trying to make their messages heard among international partners, in order to put political pressure on the unconstitutional regime in Tiraspol, said Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, Valeriu Chiveri, on the "Day by Day" show on Radio Moldova.
The authorities are looking for ways to implement social projects financed through the convergence mechanism by redirecting financial resources from economic agents in the Transnistrian region, Chiveri said.
"We will try to find ways to implement these projects without involving the decision-makers from Tiraspol. It is not an easy project to implement. We have some time, we already have ideas, but we have some time to coordinate all our actions with the institutions empowered to come up with an implementation mechanism, said Valeriu Chiveri.
The Transnistrian conflict does not represent an obstacle to the Republic of Moldova's accession to the European Union, said the director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPPRE), Iulian Groza, citing the example of Cyprus.
"The Transnistrian dimension is not addressed in this framework of negotiations. The Republic of Moldova is negotiating an accession treaty on such an integral state, recognized internationally, and respectively, our negotiations with the European Union must not have any regional aspects", said Iulian Groza.
March 2 marks the 34th anniversary of the Nistru War. According to official data, over 300 people lost their lives in the 1992 war, and approximately a thousand people were injured.
Author: Eva Fruntașu
