Transnistrian Conflict on January 1–31, 2008

Prospects to settle the Transnistrian conflict in 2008

President Vladimir Voronin has said in a traditional year-start speech in front of foreign ambassadors to Moldova that “stances of all participants in the Transnistrian settlement negotiations have been approached at maximum” in 2007… “The Russian Federation, the United States, the European Union, the OSCE and Ukraine begin from the idea that this inveterate conflict cannot be settled but on basis of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova… The Transnistrian settlement is a process in which countries and mediators invest their moral rather than political expectations, their best ideas regarding a fair unification of the country… Moldova, as a neutral country, is becoming a comfortable area for a mutual understanding and interested dialogue of the great powers… We follow the same principle in relations with Transnistria, the opening principle which was expressed in the programme on development of confidence between Chisinau and Tiraspol. There is no alternative for this way… We will do our best to see our compatriots from Transnistria as well in the next Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, which will meet the jubilee year, on the 650th anniversary of the Moldovan state, so that residents of the region to be able to effectively help building a modern, European Moldova.”

President Voronin’s statements correlate with reports by the Moscow-based newspaper “Kommersant”, which anticipating the January 22, 2008 meeting between Presidents Vladimir Voronin and Vladimir Putin said that they could discuss the Transnistrian settlement principles. According to earlier reports, Moldovan authorities agree to recognise Russia’s estate in Transnistria, guarantee Moldova’s permanent neutrality and interests of the Russian business in strategic sectors of the Moldovan economy in exchange for Moscow’s support for finding a solution to the legal status of Transnistria as soon as possible, so that to let residents of the breakaway enclave attend the 2009 parliamentary elections. This formula would allow President Voronin to gather the laurel of the country integrator and President Putin would be an unprecedented peacekeeper, particularly on the background of the situation in Kosovo. But no report indicating a deal was released after the meeting between the two heads of state. Even more, following President Voronin’s visit to Moscow, Russian authorities made public their plans to open 23 polling stations in Transnistria for the March 2, 2008 Russian presidential elections without asking Moldova’s permission. One can say, however, that President Voronin’s visit to Moscow was a success as Russia will open only 23 instead of 24 polling stations as it did during the parliamentary elections of December 2, 2007.

Earlier, Minister of Reintegration Vasile Sova has stated to BASA-press news agency that 2007 was the “year of investments in the Transnistrian settlement… Moldova has taken unilateral measures to strengthen the confidence and security… Mediators and observers of the negotiation process have reached a consensus aimed to establish the legal status of the Transnistrian region with respect for Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial unity.”

On the other hand, Transnistrian leader Igor Smirnov met Russian Ambassador Valeri Kuzimin on January 14, 2008, saying that the latest initiatives by President Voronin do not bring anything new but they reiterate some former agreements which Moldovan authorities had turned down. Smirnov insisted on the need to guarantee the free move of commodities, citizens and transports, as well as on activity within the so-called “Zhukov-Smirnov protocol,” which stipulates support for Transnistria and its integration into the Russian area.

Human rights in Transnistria

Vasili Kaliko, who is in charge with human rights in Transnistria, has reviewed the year 2007. He said that more than 5,000 complaints have been submitted.

But this number does not include the case of Anatolii Mospan, a young man who died on January 2, 2008, shortly after being enrolled in the Transnistrian army. The Transnistrian defence ministry released a statement prohibiting what it called “allegations regarding the death of soldier Anatolii Mospan.” According to the statement, he died suddenly after a heart attack. On the other hand, the newspaper “Jurnal de Chisinau” has published an article “Ucis in batai la Tiraspol”RO (Beaten to death in Tiraspol) in which the relatives of the dead say that the latter had signs of violence that could kill him. Transnistrian authorities stopped the investigations, while human rights organisations summoned Moldovan authorities to investigate this case.

Demographic and social problems

According to the Statistical Yearbook of Transnistria, the eastern region of Moldova had 540,600 residents in 2006, and this number has decreased very much compared with 2002, when Transnistria had 633,600 residents. Retirees count for 133,000 people or approximately 24 percent of the population and children for 111,000 (about 20 percent). At the same time, there are approximately 3,000 inmates in Transnistrian prisons (for comparison, there are 9,000 detainees in Moldova, and compared with the number of residents, it is approximately twofold less).

These data correlate with statistics on the increasing labour force deficit. Low salaries are the main reason. A builder earns approximately 250 dollars on average a month (the unemployment indemnity is about 15 dollars), while qualified workers are paid about 300 dollars a month. These workers could earn two-fold more. The gravity of the problem is understandable, given the fact that the building sector registers the greatest development (a square metre of housing in Tiraspol costs 400–500 dollars, compared with 700–800 dollars in Chisinau). Statistics reveal that 80 percent of the vacancies are available for builders, locksmiths, hairdressers and drivers.

Transnistria has increased prices starting January 1, 2008, in particular, of dairy by 10 percent, bread products by 25 percent, electricity by 11 percent, gas by 14 percent, water by 125 percent. In these circumstances, retirees from the region are paid monthly indemnities worth approximately 10 dollars starting January 2008, and they are covered from 27.2 million dollars transferred by the Russian Federation to Transnistria as humanitarian aid. The amount of the humanitarian aid was a topic of the propagandistic battle between the legislature and Tiraspol administration, which cannot agree who is to praise for this assistance, Smirnov or Shevchyuk.

Economic developments

Starting January 2008, the Transnistrian region has increased very much (by 60 percent) the fee for the activity based on entrepreneurial patent in 58 branches.

The Ribnita-based Metallurgical Factory, the main income provider in the Transnistrian budget, is also facing difficulties, though it exceeded its production plan in 2007. The main problems faced by this enterprise were linked to the refusal to import used iron from Ukraine, as the latter introduced a 30-euro customs duty per ton. Russia and Kazakhstan are the main used iron providers at present.

According to Transnistrian officials, economic agents from the region lose 17 million dollars a year, as Moldovan authorities blocked the Transnistrian railroad starting 2004 and Transnistrian enterprises have to bypass. The Ribnita-based Metallurgical Factory loses the most. Transnistria has lost 35 million dollars inclusively because of Moldova’s customs control. In this context, Kalman Mizsei, the special representative of the European Union to Moldova, met Transnistrian foreign minister Valeri Litskai on January 21, 2008, who said that Moldova’s pressures against Transnistria is one of obstacles on way of resumption of the “Five-Plus-Two” negotiations.

According to a communication by the Ministry of Reintegration, Transnistria’s foreign commerce is not halted. In particular, in January — December 2007:

The State Registration Chamber of Moldova has recorded 86 economic agents (233 overall) for a temporary term and awarded them the IDNO code and another 29 (142 overall) for a permanent term. Overall, 383 economic agents have been temporarily and permanently registered until now;
The Moldovan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) has issued 5,821 origin certificates for exported commodities in the period concerned, including 3,505 — form С certificates and 2,316 preferential certificates (СT-1–2183, EUR.- 133).
Seventy-four out of 375 economic agents certified by the State Registration Chamber of Moldova applied for commodity origin certificates in January-December 2007. The chamber issued 596 origin certificates on average a month to economic agents in January-December 2007, by 176 more than in 2006;
The Customs Service of Moldova issued 1,327 preferential origin certificates A to 23 Transnistria-based economic agents from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007 for the foreign trade with the E.U.;
The State Licensing Chamber has issued 11 licences to economic agents registered accordingly to the effective legislation for different kinds of activity, in particular, electricity production and export, making, preserving and wholesale of spirits; production and sale of seeds; import and storage of toxic chemical substances, household chemical items and products; projecting of technical-urban installations and networks, reconstruction; pharmaceutics; block buildings and engineering constructions; import and sale of perfumery and cosmetics;
Commodities exported and imported by Transnistria-based enterprises and controlled by Moldova’s Customs Service were worth 9,399,600 lei, of which exports worth 8,010,500 lei, and imports worth 1,389,100 lei.

Visit of the OSCE chairman-in-office to Moldova

Mr. Ilkka Kanerva, foreign minister of Finland, chair of the OSCE, visited Moldova on January 16–17, 2008. Meetings with Moldovan officials focussed on “latest developments in the Transnistria settlement process, with the sides sharing opinions regarding prospects of a definitive resolution of the conflict.” The OSCE chairman-in-office supported “the need of stirring up efforts of all participants in the negotiation process in order to give an impulse to the Transnistrian process; the initiatives of President Vladimir Voronin aimed to strengthen the confidence between the two banks of the Dniester River; the activity of the E.U. Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine.” In Tiraspol, Mr. Kanerva has met Transnistrian leaders who “reported the evolution of the negotiation process after 1992,”seeking an equal footing for the conflicting sides. Transnistrian leader Igor Smirnov said that the OSCE cannot deal with the conflict resolution in dependence of the case. In consequence, Mr. Kanerva promised to appoint Finnish diplomat Heikki Talvitie as OSCE special representative in charge with the Transnistrian problem, in order to relieve the negotiation process.

Political competition between Shevchyuk and Smirnov

The Supreme Soviet in Tiraspol has started examining a draft law on president and vice-president of Transnistria. It motivates that the Transnistrian constitution stipulates the adoption of such a law. It is loud that the draft law has appeared when relations between Transnistrian speaker Yevgeny Shevchyuk and president Igor Smirnov have deteriorated and according to the Moscow-based newspaper Kommersant, Russian authorities have prepared the eventual withdrawal of Smirnov from TransnistriaRU and have plans to deploy a delegation to Tiraspol in order to persuade Smirnov of this necessity. The draft law concerned was placed in the context of elaboration of the drafts on “public service” and “status of public functionaries” in late 2007. Also, planned reshuffles within security bodies raise interest. A strong activism is observed on behalf of Transnistrian vice-president Alexandr Korolyov, secretary of the security council. He intends to extend the authority of police and border guard bodies in order to entrust them to hold and arrest.

All these innovations emerge around the scandal regarding ways the Smirnov administration had sold (privatised) the Cuciurgan Power Plant estimated at 1.2 billion dollars in exchange for 29 million dollars. At the same, time speaker Yevgeny Shevchyuk reported for the Moscow-based newspaper Kommersant that he is still waiting for the investigation results concerning the way Smirnov’s family which administrate the GAZPROMBANK in Transndniestria has used $1.6 billions gas dept to GAZPROM.

Developments within the Joint Control Commission (JCC)

The commission decided on January 24, 2008 on come-back of the Moldovan peacekeeping contingent under the joint military command. According to Transnistrian media, Moldovan peacekeepers do not obey to the joint command starting January 11. The problem should be resolved through an appeal to representatives of the Moldovan and Russian defence ministries. The JCC co-chairman on behalf of Russia, Viktor Shanin, accused Moldovan authorities of intending to undermine the peacekeeping mechanism. It was noted that the actions by Moldovan authorities are part of the plan to withdraw the checkpoints and security structures from the security zone, in order to demonstrate the intention to strengthen the reciprocal confidence, but these are nothing but PR measures.

The JCC co-chairman on behalf of Transnistria, Alexandr Porozhan, was dismissed on January 23, 2008 under a decree by Smirnov. Oleg Belyakov succeeded Porozhan. Local observers indicated a connexion between this move and internecine battles of the Transnistrian elite.

Sources: http://www.olvia.idknet.com, www.nr2.ru, www.kommersant.ru

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