Moldovan border guards are trying to put marks on the Russian and Ukrainian passports of citizens of Transnistria at the Kuchurgan checkpoint on the border of Transnistria and the Odessa region of Ukraine.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Transnistria, Vitaly Ignatiev, stated this on the TSV television channel, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“We have facts that in 2019, some Moldovan representatives tried to put stamps in the passports of citizens of Russia and Ukraine who permanently reside in the territory of Transnistria about allegedly entering Moldova. If this stamp is in place, then after 90 days the person must leave the territory of Moldova. Otherwise, he will be considered an illegal resident. If he tries to leave through the Chisinau airport, he will have problems,” Ignatiev said.
He assured that Pridnestrovie has the tools to stop this practice.
“If information is confirmed that the border police have begun these activities, of course, we will react accordingly. I assure you, this tool is very effective,” said Ignatiev.
Ukraine and Moldova opened joint checkpoints on the Transnistrian border in 2017. Transnistrian President Vadim Krasnoselsky regarded this step as the beginning of an economic blockade of the unrecognized republic.
About 200 thousand citizens of Russia and 100 thousand citizens of Ukraine live in Transnistria.