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“The dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol in the context of the COVID-19 crisis: challenges and solutions” was the topic of discussions at EU Debates Cafe, an event organized by the Institute for European Policies and Reforms. Cristina Lesnic, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, Andrei Popov, President of the Institute of Strategic Initiatives and Ion Manole, Executive Director, Promo-LEX Association, attended the event.

The discussions focused over three main areas: the healthcare in the Transnistrian region, the situation in the security zone and human rights issues.

Ion Manole, the Executive Director of Promo-LEX listed several difficulties identified during the monitoring of the situation on the left bank of the Nistru River once the state of emergency was declared. These included the establishment of posts and the installation of blockades in several localities, especially the commune of Cocieri, therefore creating additional obstacles to the free movement.

The Executive Director of Promo-LEX mentioned the beneficial approach of Chisinau authorities, who are inquiring about the problems faced by the citizens on the left bank of the Nistru River and are willing to intervene to settle them. He also stressed that the local authorities are having an increasingly insensitive behavior, accompanied by a hate speech.

In the context of the COVID – 19 pandemic, some dialogue formats and institutions proved to be ineffective, considers Ion Manole, among them the 1 + 1 format, the thematic working groups but also the Joint Control Commission. Furthermore, the role of the OSCE is unclear, which in the opinion of the expert must be more active and more efficient. First, they have to monitor the situation, this being the basic role of the mission in the Republic of Moldova. The OSCE must also inform the public and partners about the de facto situation in the region they are monitoring. Another step would be the public television debates between the two banks, so that the population from the whole territory would have access to this information. The events on the left bank of the Nistru River are discussed in the national press and the population in the region has access to this information and can make its opinion known to the population from the right bank. A the same time, the opinion leaders, the experts and the human rights organizations from the right bank cannot reach the public on the left bank of the Nistru River. Last but not least, the OSCE should intervene promptly and effectively whenever there are certain situations, cases or incidents.

“Too much attention is paid to political and diplomatic issues and it is too easy to overlook issues related to the violation of fundamental human rights in the Transnistrian region, for now especially in the security zone. The population on the left bank of the Nistru River distrusts the efficiency of the negotiations and the actions of the stakeholders involved in the process of settling the Transnistrian problem. The voice of the locals from the Transnistrian region is not heard and their problems have not been solved for years. Despite various programs and measures to increase the confidence, the effect is the opposite, “said Ion Manole.

The recommendation to the authorities is to place more emphasis on the issues related to monitoring and observing the human rights. Since the Transnistrian territory is not the private land and the private property of the group of people who are controlling it, the situation in which the press, lawyers, human rights defenders or diplomats do not have access to this territory already for about 30 years is completely unconceivable. Hundreds of thousands of people, who have fundamental rights are living over there.

“If we lose the confidence of the population, it will be much more difficult to know the real situation, and, by not trusting, the people will no longer refer to the authorities. Thus, we must focus the efforts towards the population on both banks of the Nistru River and less towards the local administration”, added Ion Manole.

The executive director of Promo-LEX stressed the importance of monitoring the human rights in the Transnistrian region; he concluded, “If human rights prevail, we shall be successful in the dialogue as well”.