In an interview with the television channel “Russia 24”, the PMR Foreign Minister commented on the signing by the President of the Russian Federation of a Decree on special rules for granting Russian citizenship to all residents of Pridnestrovie.
He noted that this opportunity is now opening up for hundreds of thousands of citizens of the Pridnestrovie: “These are people who identify with Russia, who were raised within the Russian cultural sphere, immersed in its culture and traditions, and grounded in the Russian language. Therefore, the significance of this decision cannot be overstated. It has been long awaited, was welcomed by all citizens, and has inspired people”.
The diplomat called this an important signal to the residents of Pridnestrovie that Russia cares about their interests and is ready to ensure and protect their rights, especially in the current difficult situation associated with increased pressure from neighboring Moldova. He also emphasized the importance of ensuring that the mechanism for fully implementing this Decree is in place so that people can implement their interests as quickly as possible.
During the interview, Vitaly Ignatiev spoke in detail about the pressure tactics being employed by the Republic of Moldova, including the collection of illegitimate levies in the form of customs duties, the application of the so-called “law on separatism” against Pridnestrovians, restrictions on their freedom of movement, and so on. A particular issue is the introduction of double taxation for Pridnestrovie, which, in his words, “has no precedents, no basis in international and European law, or in WTO rules”:
“The Moldovan side is throwing out some figures that they allegedly plan to collect. But the reality is that no enterprise, no economic agent will be able to operate under such pressure. Therefore, in the end, by talking about how they supposedly intend to take something away, the Moldovan side actually understands perfectly well that they will bring factories and enterprises, from large and medium-sized businesses down to small businesses, to a standstill. In other words, this will not lead to any additional financial resources. It will lead exclusively to an economic and socio-humanitarian catastrophe in Pridnestrovie”.
The minister stated that it is impossible to accelerate the settlement process through destructive measures, and that Chisinau, through its actions, “has driven itself into a dead end”. He emphasized that the main task today is to bring Chisinau back to the negotiating table and to ensure conditions for the resumption of peaceful dialogue at all levels.
