Foreign Dniester Moldavian Republic has published an article August 16 Foreign Minister Vladimir PMR Yastrebchak “The main provisions of the Foreign Policy Concept of Transnistrian Moldovan Republic”, published in the newspaper “Russian News” № 23 (2053). BakuToday publish the text in full:

“In accordance with the Constitution of the Republic Transnistrian Moldovan foreign policy is one of the most important functions of the Transnistrian state.

In practice, this means that the state, through the professional activity carried out by authorized state bodies, is committed to protecting the rights and legitimate interests of the people of Transnistria, all citizens Dniester Moldavian Republic, as well as on the promotion and protection of state sovereignty, creation of favorable external conditions for the development of the state.

Foreign Policy Dniester Moldavian Republic is carried out in a systematic manner. The legal basis for this activity is the Constitution of Transnistria, the laws of the foreign service and international treaties, as well as foreign policy concept of the TMR, approved by Decree of the Supreme Council of May 26, 2005 № 2241.

Foreign Policy Concept of Transnistrian Moldovan Republic was adopted in a complex foreign situation. Not much time after the collapse of the signing of the fault of the Moldovan leadership of a federal settlement project, developed by the then first deputy head of Russian President’s Administration, DN Kozak, in the Ukraine as a result of the “orange revolution” came to power in power do not give priority to their own national interests, and orders from Brussels and Washington, in the Republic of Moldova on the results of parliamentary elections was formed stable “alliance of communists and nationalists,” led by B. Voronin became more active part in the RM of GUAM and other anti-Russian projects, as well as antipridnestrovskie action.

In such a situation, the TMR has acquired special urgency the need to systematize and improve the effectiveness of foreign policy in order to not only ensure prompt and quality response to challenges to our nationhood, but to act in anticipation, initiative. This led to the adoption of the Concept in the current edition now.

It is worth noting that members of the Supreme Convocation took an active part in the development of the Concept. At the initiative of members of parliament TMR project, introduced the president of the TMR was supplemented by sections on the promotion of foreign economic activities, information provision on foreign policy, as well as sections have been combined on cooperation with Russia and Ukraine.

The concept consists of several sections that define the priorities, objectives, main directions of foreign policy, affecting different aspects of Transnistria in international economic relations and informational support of foreign policy, as well as mechanisms for implementing foreign policy.

According to the Concept, the main foreign policy priorities are:

a) strengthen and protect the independence and sovereignty;

b) protect the rights, freedoms and dignity, regardless of ethnicity;

c) openness in the development of equal and mutually beneficial relations with the states and abroad;

d) commitment to exclusively peaceful, political and democratic methods of negotiation in the settlement of relations with the RM;

d) providing a favorable external environment for the promotion of social and economic reforms needed to improve living standards.

In conducting foreign policy, aimed at ensuring the public interest, Transnistria defines the main tasks:

1) the strengthening of stability and security in the region;

2) the development of good neighborly relations with neighboring countries and the deepening of integration processes;

3) strengthening of friendly relations with Member States, the world community;

4) one of the priorities is the realization of national interests through entry into the UN;

5) cooperation with international organizations, financial and economic institutions.

Of particular value in practical terms, represents a section of the Concept on the main directions of foreign policy, in fact – the most important principles of interaction of the TMR with its strategic partners and the international community as a whole. Most of the provisions of this section are still valid today, despite a series of events that greatly changed the international political and legal reality.

Relations with Moldova are considered through the prism of the negotiations on normalizing relations with the State. The position of the TMR in the negotiation process is based on the principles of peaceful political settlement, the equality of parties, the adoption of mutually agreed solution, refraining from the use or threat of force, the need for a comprehensive system of mutual and external security, the implementation of previous agreements, as well as taking into account the existing international practice the peaceful settlement of disputes and only the final approval mechanism referendarnogo settlement model.

During the time that has elapsed since the adoption of the Concept, there have been a number of significant changes around the process of normalizing relations between Moldova and Transnistria. First, in July 2005, the Moldovan parliament unilaterally adopted a law that determines the status of “Transnistria” in the “one and indivisible PM”. According to the paper and attached to it to Parliament RM Moldovan representatives can negotiate with Transnistria only of “democratization and demilitarization of the region,” which excludes an equal dialogue between the sides. Secondly, since 2005, consulted on the Moldovan-Transnistrian conflict involving the European Union and U.S. as observers. As a consequence, the “Permanent Conference of Political Affairs” became better known as “5 +2 format.” Third, in March 2006 a joint decision of Moldova and Ukraine for Transnistrian blockade introduced measures to limit previously established by international agreements signed by the right to self-TMR in foreign trade. These measures not only the blockade is not lifted, but substantially worsened, eventually an official work “5 +2″ was interrupted and not resumed until the present time.

Finally, September 17, 2006 held a referendum in which more than 95% of voters came to vote reaffirmed the policy of building an independent state and the refusal of entry of the RM in one form or another.

Despite such a significant change in the situation, the basic principles of foreign policy concept have been claimed during this time. They were put into practice and specification in a number of projects, such as the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the RM and TMR; The main elements of the principle of non-use or threat of force in Moldova and the Transnistrian conflict settlement, the Agreement on the basis of the safeguards system in the Moldovan-Transnistrian conflict settlement, designed Transnistrian side, and sent to all participants of the “5 +2″ in 2008-2009

Moreover, viability and relevance of these principles are the realities of the settlement was confirmed by the Joint Statement of Presidents of the Russian Federation, the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic and the Republic of Moldova, signed on 18 March 2009 in Moscow.

The same principles, we hope, will consolidate and further specification of the law on the purposes and principles of the negotiation process with the Republic of Moldova, a project that sent by President of TMR to the Supreme Council.

Relations with the Russian Federation and Ukraine are united in a single sub-concepts, since these states are the guarantors of the Moldovan-Transnistrian conflict settlement and the most important strategic partners of our country. Particular attention is paid to the continuation of the document is now carried out a peacekeeping operation, which is the most important guarantee of peace and stability throughout the region.

The most important event since the adoption of the Concept was holding above a referendum in 2006, during which the vast majority of Transnistrian expressed desire to develop their independent state with Russia. In addition, in 2006, was signed on the basis of a working meeting of President of Transdniestria Igor Smirnov and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov, who became the legal basis for the development of interdepartmental cooperation of Russia and Transnistria.

The importance of cooperation TMR with foreign countries due to the fact that the European direction is realized a substantial body of Transnistrian foreign interests. The concept emphasized the interest in the use of TMR of the European experience to further economic, technological and cultural development. Separately noted the OSCE’s role as mediator in the Moldovan-Transnistrian conflict settlement, as well as important documents of the depositary of the negotiation process.

Naturally, the status of temporary non-recognition has a significant influence on the implementation of foreign policy. Gaining international recognition is one of the most important tasks of the Transnistrian state at the present stage, and this certainly complicates the implementation of the international activities of our state in comparison with internationally recognized entities. Transnistria is deprived of all opportunities offered by “recognized” diplomacy, but that does not mean that the foreign policy concept is promising, or “virtual” document. On the contrary, the political and legal act is a document of direct action, determining the major challenges facing the international relations of Transnistria, as well as mechanisms for their implementation.

The foreign policy concept in that there can be “frozen” document adopted once and for all. On the contrary, it should be a document that takes into account changes in the relevant historical periods, suggesting their comprehension and analysis, as well as determining long-term objectives and attitudes.

The provisions of the Concept, fully conforming to the will of the people of Transdniestria, apparently, will continue to assume a discussion on their specification and improvement in the separation of the approaches to cooperation with Russia and Ukraine in the context of the choice of the people of Transnistria, a part of the EU and the U.S. granting observer status and the growing interest of other regional and extra-regional actors (Federal Republic of Germany, Council of Europe, etc.), absolute priority will of the people of Transnistria, as expressed in a referendum in 2006, recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia – our traditional partners. However, this does not affect the integrity of the concept of a document, as well as the viability of all its provisions at this stage. “