Ukraine postponed the transport blockade of Transnistria for a month
Cars with Transnistrian license plates can freely cross the Ukrainian border until October 1.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Transnistria reports this in its official telegram channel, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Information was received through diplomatic channels about the possibility of unhindered transit of vehicles with Pridnestrovian license plates through the territory of Ukraine until October 1 of this year,” the message says.
From September 1, Ukraine unilaterally stopped allowing cars with Transnistrian license plates, although Moldovan President Maia Sandu in early August personally promised the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Presidential Administration Dmitry Kozak that there would be no blockade of the unrecognized republic for another six months.
Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament Igor Grosu admitted that Moldova asked Ukraine to postpone the introduction of “neutral license plates” for Transnistrian cars when entering its territory. However, he denies that this request was agreed with Moscow.
“The decision was ours, not Mr. Kozak's. To give them more time and for an alternative to arise. But I said that as an alternative, regular transport may appear, and then a person will have an alternative and a choice between one thing or another,” Grosu said in an interview with Europa Libera.
Meanwhile, the First Pridnestrovsky TV channel reports that residents of the PMR still leave their cars in the bushes and walk home through the checkpoint.
Transnistrian Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev hopes that a solution to the problem will be found.
“Yes, we consider Ukraine’s actions to be short-sighted and erroneous, but the bridges are not burned, the doors are not closed, there is a possibility of solving the problem. We hope that common sense and a rational approach will prevail. The signals that we hear from the Moldovan side that a delay is necessary will be tested with specific cases,” Ignatiev said.
Pridnestrovian-Moldovan expert groups will hold urgent meetings in the near future. A visit to Pridnestrovie by the OSCE Chairman is possible.
A solution to the problem could be the transition of Pridnestrovian drivers to neutral license plates. Samples of neutral license plates for Transnistria were developed with the assistance of the EUBAM (European Union Boarder Assistant Mission) mission in 2013. However, Moldova considers the presence of a Moldovan driver’s license to be an indispensable condition for issuing such license plates. In order to receive this certificate, Pridnestrovians must present Moldovan documents. Thus, citizens of Ukraine and Russia living in Transnistria are excluded from the possibility of using neutral license plates.
In Transnistria they propose to introduce a mechanism of neutral rights. The initiative was supported by the OSCE, but Moldova is blocking the proposals. So far, only 5% of Pridnestrovian drivers have issued neutral license plates.
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