Pridnestrovie’s future: Liberal economy, Freedom and security

Independent report.

Introduction

Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica is going to celebrate its 20 anniversary since it declared independence.

The people who created the republic in a nation-wide unity became disappointed by the situation in Pridnestrovie today, after they devolved power on the leaders of the country.

Many things happened since 1990. There was a military conflict with Moldova in 1991-1992, a transition to market economy and serious transformations in the European and world scale.

The change of the political elites has been an urgent thing for many times. There have always appeared certain prerequisites to different changes. One could see new faces appearing on the political stage. Different experts talked about president Smirnov’s resignation and they were trying to promote “young and up-and-coming” people instead. Still, the boot is on the other foot.

At the moment, Igor Smirnov is still the president of Pridnestrovie, and Pridnestrovian society is now watching all possible imitations of “harmonization”, “modernization” and other positive tendencies played by the press-services of executive and legislative powers of Pridnestrovie instead of profound and reasonable reforms.

It is difficult to calculate whether any changes are going to happen in the medium term. The state propagandists calm down the society, but most of the labor pool has already left the republic and the young generation doesn’t see its future in Pridnestrovie. These are not only young and energetic citizens who leave the republic – children and pensioners leave Pridnestrovie following their children and parents. Despite good weather conditions, Pridnestrovie is not a region with a warm existence in one's old age because all the medical institutions of Pridnestrovie totally degraded.

Global financial crisis that covered all the neighbor regions and the key donor of Pridnestrovie – Russian Federation - exacerbated all the destructive processes in Pridnestrovian economy. The growth of unemployment led to the fact that the republic is inhabited by pensioners, children and public sector workers. So, the imbalance between rich and poor is increasing. Prices and utility rates have been rising quickly since 1990s.

If the situation doesn’t change, experts expect collapse of the social, health and municipal infrastructure spheres in Pridnestrovie. The territory of the republic is becoming condemned.

Still, state propagandists are sure that Pridnestrovie is moving towards recognition, that the life of the population is becoming better year after year, that the officials take care about investments, and that the epoch of poverty and economic chaos skirted Pridnestrovie.

The main goal of the report is not only to show truth about bad situation in Pridnestrovie. This is a thing well-known among the people, despite propagandist clichés. The main aim of the report is to demonstrate some ways out of the dead end, to show how it is possible to bring reforms to this soviet model of state structure which does not correspond either contemporary tendencies of post-industrial economy or the demands of the younger generation – the generation of young people who immigrate from Pridnestrovie as soon as they have such a chance.

The report consists of four parts which demonstrate the advantages of the reforms in different spheres of state structure, economy and internal policies. The aspects of the economic security and Pridnestrovie’s survival in the context of contemporary geopolitical tendencies are also described in the report.

The report is tailored to general reader, in spite of the fact that it is outspread in the Internet. A small edition is planned to be distributed among people who do not possess the technologies of modern communications.

Public administration crisis

Pridnestrovie fell heir to the administrative-command system of the Soviet Union. This system is introduced in Pridnestrovie in the most pitiful variant. The growth of number of public sector workers, who are, in fact, feeding on the taxpayers, non-transparent governance models, overblown ministries, corruption verticals and inadequate legislation brought Pridnestrovie to the situation when job in the public sector gives absolutely secure opportunities for personal gain.

Pridnestrovie lost its self-reliance soon at a certain period. The officials started mouching on the non-transparent and multibillion dividends in the gas sphere.

The same happened with the national enterprises at the beginning of 1990s. The officials – directors of the factories – turned national enterprises to objects through which they could absorb multibillion interests. Generally, the scheme was simple – export-import kickbacks when cash money was laundered. After the depletion of the reserves of the enterprises, a mechanism to avoid economic collapse was found – it was privatization.

The officials who could not administrate enterprises had to invite new owners. Since then, the state had to settle for tax dollars and the new owners made profit – this profit could have been made by the state itself with the effective management.

Similar situation came about in the agricultural sector when the-state-officials-directors dismantled the rests of the “soviet luxury items” - reclamation works, etc. Agricultural and industrial sector which was preyed upon by the state officials was transferred into private hands, but these individual businessmen need multimillion investments to remanufacture the production in this sphere. Thanks to such a tendency Pridnestrovie today looks like a Russian little out-of-the-way place, where grain crop and colza are produced instead of vegetables and fruits which Pridnestrovie used to grow for the whole Soviet Union.

More than 50% of the population left Pridnestrovie and it is a serious problem. The current ratio of the taxpayers and dependents is 1:4 – it means that state can’t meet its obligations in such spheres as medicine, pension and welfare schemes, education and science.

So, today military men and state officials have priority of the young generation and of the specialists of different spheres. If nothing changes – the future Pridnestrovie will be the country of soldiers and officials. So, one can't help but wonder – who and why will support them?

Investment crisis

In spite of regular populist affirmations of the propagandists, Pridnestrovie has never been a territory with investment attractiveness. Along with the objective reasons coming from the problem of the status of the republic and information confrontation with Moldova, the more serious problem for Pridnestrovie is its soviet administrative governance model. It is enough to look at a much more successful example - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It is an unrecognized country with the population of 200 000 people and the territory of 3300 km2. The country is financially supported by Turkey and the financial support is about 3 billion dollars during 35 years of existence of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. This country has been demonstrating quick economic growth during the last ten years. According to CIA World Factbook, Northern Cyprus’s GDP 2007 was $1.829 billion, per capita GDP - $11 700. It is almost a European index.

Let’s see the same data about Pridnestrovie. The territory of Pridnestrovie is 4163 km2, the de-facto population is about 350000 people and Russia’s financial support is about $2.5 billion during 20 years. According to data provided by Ministry of economy of Pridnestrovie in 2009, Pridnestrovian GDP was $960.9 million, per capita GDP – $1830.2.

It is important to note that Northern Cyprus economy is mostly represented by the services sector – 69.1%. Other sectors – agricultural: 8.6%, industry (consumer goods industry). Services sector and tourism are not developed in Pridnestrovie at all, but in comparison with agricultural-beach Northern Cyprus, Pridnestrovie looks like industrial Eldorado. Unfortunately, it is almost non-competitive in open economy. They like to be proud of the morally obsolete USSR industrial giants in Pridnestrovie.

It should be noted that Northern Cyprus has plenty going for Pridnestrovie because of its good resort location, but Northern Cyprus used to be behind Pridnestrovie 30 years ago because it has more “problematic” conflict with the Greek part of the island.

Northern Cyprus as contrasted with Pridnestrovie, was into luck – they didn’t have USSR, planned economy, command-and-control central planning system which abetted corruption and degradation of the public authorities.

The investment crisis is a fundamental reason of all Pridnestrovie’s misfortunes in the economic and social politics. The depletion of the middle class from Pridnestrovie led to many related problems: growing drug and alcohol use, smoking, veneral diseases and tuberculosis. Not a single country of the Commonwealth of Independent States can be a competitor for Pridnestrovie speaking about these “hard” criteria, not to speak of the European countries.

Liquidation of illusions

We got used to state propaganda about “socially oriented state”, about Pridnestrovie’s authorities’ constant concern about either global crisis or flood, or some other world-shaking troubles.

To analyze the nature of such mythopoetics, one should estimate several criteria of Pridnestrovie’s budget policy orientation.

The head of “Finances and credit” subdepartment of Pridnestrovian State University, Ph.D. in Economics, Yuriy Safronov gives some figures and data which differ from those given by Ministry of Economy of Pridnestrovie. According to Mr. Safronov, the real Per capita GDP in Pridnestrovie is about $600 – $800. Ministry of Economy of Pridnestrovie speaks about some $1830.2. Anyway, both $600 and $1800 are close to Per capita GDP of such countries as Bangladesh - $1500, Nepal - $900, Afghanistan - $600, Republic of Burkina Faso - $1300, Myanmar - $1200, Cambodia - $2100, Cameroon - $2400, Chad - $1600, Cote d’Ivoire - $1700, Ghana - $1500, Tanzania - $1400, Guinea - $1100, Papua New Guinea - $2300, Haiti - $1400, Honduras - $3700. Pridnestrovie’s Media like to poke fun at Honduras.

Per capita GDP Statistics of the countries that are globally classified as “socially oriented” highlight key points: Canada - $38 700, Sweden - $37 300, Denmark - $37 200, Australia - $36 700, Finland - $35 200. Speaking about our “ex-colleagues from the socialist camp”: Czech Republic - $23 700, Estonia - $20 200, Slovenia - $26 700, Slovakia - $18 700, Latvia - $16 300, Bulgaria - $11 300, Romania - $10 700, Belarus - $9 800, Macedonia - $8 200.

It is important to understand that on the basis of per capita GDP it is possible to calculate budget expenses for different articles of expenditure individually for every citizen of Pridnestrovie.

The population of Pridnestrovie was 730 000 in 1990. According to the Report of the Ministry of Economy of Pridnestrovie “About social and economic development of Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica in 2009”, economically active population, including both employed and unemployed citizens, both businessmen and budget workers, as of 1January 2010 is 154 300 people. Taking into account the fact that 521 400 people are registered to be resident and that about 30% of them haven’t actually lived in the republic for many years, there is no reason to believe that propagandist slogans about prosperous and successful socially-oriented state have never inspired confidence.

According to Pridnestrovie’s Economy Ministry, healthcare budgetary expenditures equaled 2.87% of GDP.

Taking into account the corruption, everyone can estimate possible “defects” of this figure. Nevertheless, our purpose is to trace the authorities’ attention to this or that sphere. That’s why we will try to believe the Ministry of Economy of Pridnestrovie and take the figure given by their report – 2.87% of GDP - healthcare spending.

Let’s look at the same data in the other countries. According to the statistics of World Health Organization: Bangladesh – 3.1%, Nepal – 5.7%, Burkina Faso – 6.4%, Cambodia – 6.0%, Cameroon – 5.2%, Chad – 3.6%, Cote d’Ivoire – 3.8%, Guinea – 5.7%, Haiti – 8.0%, Papua New Guinea – 3.2%, and finally “the very same” Honduras – 7.4%.

For a change one can look at the example of the most close to us European neighbors – Romania – 3.6%, Poland – 6.2%, Serbia – 7.6%, Belarus – 6.4%, Bulgaria – 6.9%.

Eventually, let’s look at the countries which have international reputation of “socially oriented” states: Finland – 7.6%, Sweden – 8.9%, Canada – 10.0%, Norway – 8.7%, Australia – 8.7%.

Similar situation can be found in the educational sphere. According to Pridnestrovian Ministry of Economy’s report, 50% of the graduates of the organizations of professional education get job placements. In practice state suggests job placement with $65-85 salary, which, in fact, is predisposing young specialists to immediate emigration. Usually this tendency is the predominant one.

According to Pridnestrovie’s Economy Ministry, education budgetary expenditures equaled 2.14% of GDP. Let’s make a comparison: Bangladesh 2.56%, Guatemala 3.1%, Nicaragua 3.14%, Ethiopia 5.49%, Ghana 5.44%, Uganda 5.24%, Belarus 5.21%, Australia 5.16%, Canada 4.93%, Cote d’Ivoire 4.46%, Bulgaria 4.24%, Cameroon 3.87%, Cambodia 1.6%, Burkina Faso 4.51%, Jamaica 6.53%, Finland 6.1%, Denmark 8.26%, Iceland 7.72%, Norway 6.59%, Sweden 7.02%. Taking into account per capita GDP in the leading “socially oriented” countries in the world, the reader won’t find it difficult to estimate the real parameters of the healthcare and education budgetary financing “there” and to compare the situation in those countries with that in Pridnestrovie.

State propagandists are sure that the authorities of Pridnestrovie are building “socially oriented state”. However, simple mathematical calculation demonstrates that, in fact, citizens of Pridnestrovie do not live in the “socially oriented country” but rather in “military and bureaucratic” country. Moreover, the objects of social infrastructure degrade year after year.

The expenses for the officials and for defence and law enforcement agencies are state secrets, and the official reports published by Ministry of Economy do not let citizens into the secret. There are no such “secrets” anywhere in the world except, may be, North Korea.

Keeping such information from citizens is not usually produced by the interests of security. It is just a propagandist trick. However, one doesn’t need access to a military secret to understand through the fog of propaganda the very core of things: there is no “socially-oriented” Pridnestrovie. It is impossible, taking into account GDP of Pridnestrovie and its infrastructure. The situation is even worse because of depopulation. Government revenues are not even enough to depress enormous wolfish appetites of the exaggerated and absolutely corrupt state machine and members of power ministries.

After 20 years of propaganda, citizens of Pridnestrovie have the only thing – military and bureaucratic state. The state with a very difficult present and future buried in mystery. The earlier the constructive way out of the situation will be found, the sooner Pridnestrovie will get some chances to become something worth of attention and respect.

Propagandist clichés dead ends

State propagandists and “system” politicians often keep current the theme of “harmonization” of Pridnestrovie and Russia. They explain their position saying that Pridnestrovie and Russia have common social, cultural, religious and geopolitical space. The question is - is there any use to eat cake and have it? How are economy and state administration correlated to Dostoevsky, Suvorov and Orthodox Church?

The notorious “harmonization” unfortunately appeared to be one more simulated bubble, which distends from time to time and then blows up at the worst possible moment.

The same situation is with the economic growth which stopped at the moment when European consumers didn’t want to buy Pridnetrovian products. Development sphere is the same bubble which blew up and disappeared.

All the imitations can only have influence on some groups of the society, mostly on pensioners.

Moreover, it is not worth talking about economic developments and investments. Pridnestrovian pensioners are not the investors. A real investor doesn’t need any illusions or imitations. A real investor needs positive economic environment for business development. Neither today’s Pridnestrovian elites nor regular taking the name of Russia in vain create such an environment. There is no good economic environment in Pridnestrovie.

To start discussing the problem of “harmonization” one needs at least to get an idea and to form a clear view of modern Russia – not through TV series but through analyzing Russia’s strategy.

Russian Federation today is not great speaking about Legislation and financial institutions, but it has its own oriented economy. It is market economy based on European principles. It is looking up to export of petroleum.

The political class of Russia is divided into different groups today. Part of the Russian elite is sure that it would be good to expand export opportunities of Fuel & Energy Complex. This group is represented by Putin and Sechin. Medvedev and his experts have alternative ideas.

The president of Russian Federation and his experts are sure that Russian economy should kick the petroleum habit. This part of the Russian elite supposes that attention should be paid at industrial capacities – raw material processing, modern technologies, aircraft industry and other spheres that could stop the migration outflow of specialists to the USA and Europe. This is the thing about “modernization”, and Russian Federation has some reserves to bring such initiatives to life – the country has oil and gas resources, and in comparison with Pridnestrovie, Russia “has” many things.

Both groups of Russian elite have one thing in common – their intension to follow Western standards in all the spheres of economy and public life. From the point of view of Russian political class, Russia doesn’t have another way but to build open peaceful country with attractive administrative and legal environment. However, the authorities of Russian Federation often emphasize that Russian “rules of game” do not correspond to modern western standards of liberal economy.

Russian experts and politicians often admit that they are not “harmonized” enough with such standards, that there are serious problems speaking about European standards in the sphere of civil rights and corruption. “Oil” budget is disappearing because of the problems in the management system, because of non-professionalism and corrupt state managers. Russia is stable only because of Fuel & Energy Complex.

However, Russia is likely to be critical, and the country listens to outside criticism. That’s why Russia is capable of changing. Pridnestrovie, unlike Russia, can neither be critical nor listen to criticism from outside.

Today’s Pridnestrovie’s authorities hear and listen only to themselves. Twenty years of self-admiration is too long for any critical self-concept. It is something age-specific, it can’t be cured.

Economy of Freedom

Pridnestrovie, without oil and gas, without any financial resources for modernization can’t put into action any of the Russian models mentioned above.

“The harmonization” of Pridnestrovie and Russian Federation can appear only as some appendix – just for fun and not for long, because Russia will have to make away with all the “histomas” which can prevent Russia from integrating to European and world economy.

Pridnestrovie can become an autarkic state only if large-scale investments will be brought to the region.

Speaking about changeover from “military and bureaucratic” state to “socially oriented” one – the beloved story of Pridnestrovie’s state propagandists, one should note, that such a changeover can only occur if there is a long “foot bridge”. What is meant here is liberal model. It is a model of a state with open economy, well-disposed towards external business and towards somebody’s positive experience.

One of the examples of effectiveness of such a model can be both the experience of state with unregulated status – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or new states – Georgia’s experience is one of the most interesting. This country is developing quickly despite military conflict. It develops because of the government’s effective work. Georgia’s economy is the best example of a good place for business, for foreign investments. They put out of existence corrupt administrators. Georgia is an example of a free country with liberal economy, the standards of which are estimated much higher than those of the countries of Eastern Europe.

As for Pridnestrovie, it should look at least like Georgia to attract investor from Russia, the Ukraine and Belarus, but good economic environment can’t appear through propaganda and all-possible imitations.

Investors can come to Pridnestrovie only if it will be better for them to work in Pridnestrovie than at home. Nobody wants to invest capital for charitable purposes. Nobody wants to feed bureaucracy. Business should bring money, so Pridnestrovie should become attractive, at least in the eyes of Russian citizens. Business should feel better in Pridnestrovie than in Russia. This is the only way. It means that Pridnestrovie’s economy should start corresponding to all the world economic standards earlier than Russia. It is possible to keep pace with Russia, but it won’t solve Pridnestrovie’s problems. Pridnestrovie should be one step forward to change the situation inside for the better.

Pridnestrovie’s authorities live in the world of prejudices speaking about foreign investments. According to ex-soviet politicians, Western money can bring harm to Pridnestrovie’s nation and statehood.

However, it is interesting to pay attention at EU, USA and Russia. Russia tries to follow western logic – green light to the investments into the economy, red light – to corruption.

To make foreign investors “like” Pridnestrovie, it should first become attractive for Russian investments. It is the most simple axiom – if Pridnestrovie can’t attract business of the most friendly country – Russia, then the problem is neither unregulated status, nor information war, but the arguments of Pridnestrovie’s authorities – they look like bad workers who quarrel with their tools.

Russian business invests capital into the economies of the countries of Eastern and Western Europe, USA, Great Britain, Arabian countries. What is stopping Pridnestrovie’s authorities to attract at least one per cent of these Russian investments? The answer is simple – Pridnestrovie absolutely does not correspond to the standards of modern world economy and does not have any marketability.

Pridnestrovie’s authorities make much of themselves to give external investors any opportunity to make business in Pridnestrovie on favorable terms. Today, if anybody wants to bring investments to Pridnestrovie, it is necessary to solve too many problems – to observe all possible irrational formalities in the field of document control, to feed corrupt state officials and to pay taxes that can’t be compared to all the risks. Moreover, there are no real mechanisms to cover and defend business, because system of law of Pridnestrovie is closed from the international arbitration, ECHR and other structures that can support and defend business in case state starts any abuses.

There is no independent judicial system in Pridnestrovie, and every businessman here knows about corrupt needs of the closed and absolutely untouchable Pridnestrovian court community. In fact, Pridnestrovian judicial system today is a closed caste with criminal group manners. State propagandists can say and write anything, but business never believes propaganda. Every respectful company, every serious investor has own security service which unveils all the myths and puts businessmen off making business in Pridnestrovie.

Some governments, for example in the USA, ban businessmen by legislative action of investing corrupt administrations of other countries. The less corrupt an administration is - the more foreign businessmen invest into a country.

The second important element of successful investment climate is transparency and budget adequacy of the country which is attracting capital. A businessman chooses a bank taking into account reputation criteria of the bank. The same criteria for a country are transparent and adequate budget parameters.

The success of the USA in the period of its becoming consisted in low taxes (2%) and “small” state – here the “small” is not the territory of the country, but the expenses on state machine. The number of state officials and public sector workers in Pridnestrovie is much higher than the number of citizens who work in the real economy.

The expenses also include inadequate standards of financial accounting. Pridnestrovie has been planning to use European standards of accounting records, but nothing happens.

Such an abnormal fiscal policy with a deficit of 50 – 70% is the first and the last reason for foreign business to avoid Pridnestrovie by hook or by crook. That’s why propagandist clichés about the problem of Pridnestrovie’s status lack real grounds. The problem is not the status. The problem is ineffective and corrupt state officials, irrational budget, high taxes and no transparent and accountable “game rules” for business.

Without intense and fundamental changes there are no chances in the investment sphere for Pridnestrovie neither today, nor in a year or in ten years.

National institutions

There are two myths about Igor Smirnov existing in Moldova, Ukraine, Russia and European countries that have been formed during 20 years of Pridnestrovie’s history and that exist today. According to one of them, “Smirnov is a total good”, founding father of the republic, thanks to whom Pridnestrovie exists till today and didn’t disappear. The second myth is opposite to the first one – “Smirnov is an absolute evil”, and as soon as Smirnov is put out of the way, everything will go for the better and Pridnestrovie will become a Klondike from the soviet memories with cheap wine, good rest, fruits and women.

Both of the myths have no ground. The first one has been self-disclosed thanks to Pridnestrovian propaganda, but despite this fact some part of the population of the republic continue to respect their leader who is not wanting in charm, charisma, recklessness and political headpiece.

However, most of the labor pool denied this thesis by their “voting by legs” i.e. through emigration. Smirnov is not “good” for the young generation – 100% of the young people regardless of their nationality or social status do not see their future in Pridnestrovie.

However, the myth about Smirnov as “absolute evil” has no ground as well. The problem is not Smirnov’s personality. The problem is command and administrative governance model that he created thanks to his “soviet” experience of the director of a plant. Still, there existed some control over the regional managers during the soviet time. This control helped to stop corruption processes. It could not help to stop degradation of the state officials in the all-soviet scale. It is useless to jump upon Smirnov today – he uses the experience he has and he is absolutely sure that there are no other ways out of the situation. He is sure that economic security of the European democracies is the propaganda fruit, intrigues of the imperialist wolves, etc.

This command and administrative model – or “military and bureaucratic state” – has lived its own life during all these twenty years and it continues to live “beyond” Smirnov’s personality. This model has been cloning, replicating and it is producing certain instincts for self-preservation. This model is bringing up new generation of “soviet” bureaucracy, localizing and rejecting, as if it were virus, any alien elements. Surely, Smirnov is not the only responsible person for non-magnificent results and for the collapse of economic policy. Political class of Pridnestrovie is responsible for what is happening and for what we see today none the worse than president of Pridnestrovie.

“Military and bureaucratic” state can’t disappear if Smirnov will be changed for “somebody who is younger”. All that talk is buncombe. The presidents and prime-ministers of many European countries are not a year younger than Smirnov. The difference is that neither they nor the political class of those countries lived all their life in the USSR – the country which disappeared and left behind too many problems. The first problem is slave command and administrative mentality of the “crowd, common people”, and “superiors” - those who degraded as the result of dissolution of the country.

The degradation of the elite brought to degradation of all the mechanisms of Pridnestrovie’s activity. Today everybody can see the administration crisis, corruption, the collapse of public services, the decay of public road system, absence of full-fledged health system and welfare. The collapse of pensionary and education spheres is onward.

The problem of Pridnestrovian elite is the problem of conservation of the “soviet” mentality. If you invite these people to visit Germany, Switzerland, any other place – it won’t help, because these people got used to live a little bit different – they create “Germany” for themselves, but they bequeath the same ominous and beggarly “military and administrative” model. This model can’t be hidden by PR – in the end, Russia will have enough of helping local bureaucracy. One day the leading Russian TV channels will announce that “someone is not expected in Moscow anymore”. That will be all about it.

There is a way out of the situation.

It is necessary to make sure that “military and bureaucratic” model will be changed for modern, liberal model at any cost. This modern model can create a field for investments and improve economic situation. After 50 years of investments, Pridnestrovie will have a chance to think about “socially oriented” model. No sooner than in 50 years. There are no other variants.

It is necessary to create a system, where elites will change regularly. It is only regular change of the administration that can provide fatuity of corrupt embedding.

It is neither Igor Smirnov, nor his administration, who realize new opportunities for the country with transparent economy. To make evolution process possible speaking about a new model, one needs to make a certain system of guarantees for the outgoing “post-soviet” Pridnestrovian elite. This system should include a true amnesty in the fiscal and administrative spheres. It is possible to give a new life to the republic by legal methods. It is really possible to turn over a new leaf and to turn a blind eye to all possible sins of today’s administration for the sake of benevolent intentions – to build a modernized economy based on European standards. It is only European-based economy that can be attractive for Russian investors, who choose today where to invest between such countries as USA, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, etc. It is necessary to make a huge step forward to add Pridnestrovie to this list, because it is important to give the investors a wide economic scope, stable game rules, and to make sure that there are no abuses on the part of bureaucracy.

A transparent economy of the republic would need money, and the incomings of the today’s elite in the economically and politically free Pridnestrovie in the future could become higher than today. And this money will be transparent, net cash, and nobody will feel ashamed for this money. Liberal model free from corruption can solve many problems, of which the authorities of the republic are afraid to think today.

Pridnestrovie needs modern European model of state structure – it means that the republic needs at least two powerful competitive groups which will change each other at all branches of power. Moreover, Pridnestrovie needs independent judicial system and non-corrupt law-enforcement bodies.

These groups can be political parties which will form governments and executive bodies one after another, on the basis of free and civilized elections.

One-party system is not effective. Overwhelming advantage of one party of the others – like in Russia – is not the best scenario, which smells too much “soviet”.

Russian political and administrative model will be reformed in the coming several years and it is good not to repeat others’ mistakes. Unlike Russia with its petroleum resources, Pridnestrovie has no right to make a mistake. The citizens of Pridnestrovie have no time for the experiments, speaking about flirt with bureaucracy. It is a costly affair, and none of the European countries can afford it. It is necessary to look at the countries that have the same initial situation as Pridnestrovie has. It means that sooner or later Pridnestrovie will have to learn and to use experience of the countries that do not have oil wells and gas pipes. The transit from obsolete model to a modern and actual should be evolutional in Pridnestrovie. At the same time this transit should happen as quickly as possible without propaganda and imitations.

Press and civil institutions

One of the most important mechanisms to estimate the civilized – non-civilized state and business guarantees is a freedom of press and independent television.

State media are extra-burden on the budget, moreover, state media play a destructive role. The USSR faced it when at one moment most of the population of the country lost state propagandists’ credibility. It is necessary to formalize state media ban in the Constitution. It is also necessary to formalize economic and political freedom constitutionally and to introduce criminal sanctions for aggression upon these liberties.

Independent media in the region is not a meaningless phrase for the prospective investor. Independent media is one of the mechanisms, which cover business, the same as international arbitration, for example. The image of “non-free country” is the same menace to foreign investments as corruption and unhealthy budget policy.

Different international ecological and human rights organizations monitor the situation at the territory of Russian Federation. Despite “cold war” and negative attitude towards Pridnestrovie, Pridenstrovie’s elites must be more attentive to the findings of the outside observers. As a rule, there exist criteria for international standards acceptance in different spheres – children and women rights, independent advocacy, transparent economy and transparent elections. Pridnestrovian state managers should seriously take into account both the conclusions made by international experts and the problem of its correspondence to the criteria. Today the situation is absolutely unhealthy – Pridnestrovie’s authorities reject all possible external estimates and they accuse “West” of the “cold war” against Pridnestrovie. However, citizens of Pridnestrovie, especially young people, leave the republic. Pridnestrovians are interested in absolutely particular things. Despite state propaganda they do not make long-going plans at home. Pridnestrovians consider state system of Pridnestrovie to be archaic and inadequate. It is impossible to listen to oneself for 20 years and then to complain that everybody left and that nobody is going to listen to stately speeches about successes.

Pridnestrovie on the European map

From the point of view of outside observer, Pridnestrovie has two images, thanks to its administration and state propaganda: “Soviet Pridnestrovie” and “Long-suffering Pridnestrovie”. So, the prospective investors look at Pridnestrovie with a smile or with pity and sympathy. When the authorities of Pridnestrovie say to foreigners something like “When at rome, do as romans do”, they look at least stupid. However, both of the versions of Pridnestrovie’s image are the main components of the ideology and these two images are constantly broadcasted through state media, television and officials.

The world has become smaller retrospectively. The countries, capitals and people have become closer to each other. Tens of millions of ex-“soviet” people visited different parts of the planet, they evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of these or those systems. The criteria of prosperity of this or that country has changed during the last 20 years since the collapse of Soviet Union. A prosperous country does not respect communism and its attributes, including Lenin and other things like that. One of the most important things for a good image is demonstration of the successes and developments in any possible sphere, including industry and military sector. The second thing about good image is putting all the mournful dates on the back burner. Only the success and opportunities for success bring up generations in the modern world.

That’s why Pridnestrovie in the eye of both foreigners and its own population looks like a monument to the epoch of communism and like a cemetery, where funerals happen much more often than holidays.

Russia, like many other countries in the world, took part in many wars and many people died during those wars. However, only in Pridnestrovie people watch on TV and on the web-sites of state media how the prevailing authorities, the adepts of “military and bureaucratic” state model demonstrate their patriotic feelings and make an address about how they keep up the traditions and “memory about ancestors”.

Against a backdrop of demographic collapse and gradual physiologic aging of Pridnestrovian elite, both “Soviet Pridnestrovie” and “Long-suffering Pridnestrovie” aggregate in the eye of the young people and prospective investors – they all feel like in hospice, a hospital for death-struck. Pridnestrovie looks like a place where it is possible to stay for some time for moral purposes, but this is one of the worst places in Europe and in the world to invest or to build future, with the exception of the most unstable African territories like Somali.

Nobody dreams to live in the country where everybody is always mourning. Hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens buy apartments and houses in Bulgaria to go there in summer. Bulgaria – open and happy – is more attractive for Russians than Pridnestrovie – menacing and long-suffering “outpost” with many monuments to Lenin. Russians buy apartments in Bulgaria and drive there through Belarus, Ukraine, and (Crazy!) through Romania.

And no nationalists follow them there. Antonescu is burning in Hell. Common people do not care about geopolitical games and megacorporations’ plans. Europe has lived without hatred for a long time already and not many people are interested in geopolitics, enough of propaganda.

Nobody is dreaming about recognition of Pridnestrovie, it is not the main thing in people’s lives, it is not a great necessity. Pridnestrovie can exist without legal status for many years, but neither local people nor tourists or potential investors care about the status – nothing depends on it. People care about their emotions, their lives and careers. People need the feeling of freedom, security from the officials, they need hope.

Nobody believes that the Hell begins behind the Dniester and continues through the whole planet – up to the Pacific Coast of Russian Federation. Nobody believes that outside Pridnestrovie everybody waits for Pridnestrovians to scoff at them, to remove their organs, to sell them into slavery and to oppress them.

The internet is full of the photos of the ex-citizens of Pridnestrovie and of Russians who travel by car along Europe. So, when listening to the speeches of Pridnestrovian leaders, one can think that these people really believe in the world they invented. They think that somebody from Russia estimates their striving to “preserve USSR”, “to preserve soviet production” and so on. All fine and dandy, but these abstract thinking doesn’t help Pridnestrovie’s economy. But all the massive monuments to the epoch of socialism are around us everywhere. Against it the zest of Pridnestrovie is lost - it is a unique socio-cultural environment, good nature, nice location – everything is close – Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Turkey with its Oriental flavor.

Instead of all these things, they try to make an illusion that we are in “the USSR, surrounded by the enemy”. Moreover, they try to make us believe that there is nothing worthy in the world except poor Soviet-era symbols, still, Pridnestrovian authorities say there is some “Great Russia” and we are its outpost, fortress. Only Russia doesn’t constitute itself “Great”, and wants to demonstrate the whole world its kind sweet glance, its modernity and adequacy. The same with “Great Japan”, “Great Germany”, “Great Romania” – they do not exist today, because people have changed. People consider Europe to be their big home and they see the borders as a formality. Even the Turkish Cypriots, who live in the better economic and climate conditions than Pridnestrovie, want the borders to disappear.

Northern Cyprus is the same as Russia and the Ukraine – the supporter of the Eurointegration and visa-free regime, of the flow of capital between countries, but it managers to save its identity. Young people do not leave Northern Cyprus. Turkey is a powerful regional player, interested in Northern Cyprus’s Eurointegration, because Turkey understands that it will be good for the people of Northern Cyprus. According to international experts’ estimates, Northern Cyprus today is a more free country than Turkey. It is one of the locals’ bragging rights, a reason to stay and live in their country. It could not have been otherwise - in the contrary case, after being unrecognized for 30 years, the people of the Northern Cyprus would have left for Turkey and other more prosperous countries.

The will to correspond all modern standards in economy and politics together with the course for eurointegration do not prevent Northern Cyprus from defending its identity. Northern Cypriots aim for independence from the Greek part of the island. Northern Cyprus, like Pridnestrovie, has problems with security and private property, but these things are not the obstacles for the regional development. Many international structures work with the problem of Cyprus. There is a certain plan proposed by UNO and sooner or later the parties will find a fair settlement of the problem. The European Union supports Greek part of the island in the conflict. However, Northern Cypriots - Turks, managed to separate these spheres, and European Union is not their enemy.

Northern Cyprus saw many transparent elections and it was not an obstacle in their strive to preserve their identity and to hold negotiations from a position of their interests. Democracy and economic freedom haven’t annihilated Northern Cyprus, but strengthened it. Pridnestrovian negotiators will have poor arguments - the peeled and wasted remnants of 750 thousand population and the results of the referendum of 2006. Let’s say, today’s demographic dynamics helps Moldova to look more adequate. If the economic reforms of the liberal government of Moldova are a success, it will be difficult for Pridnestrovian diplomats to advocate one’s interests in 5 years. Whose interests? The interests of the militarymen and bureaucracy? What if the population of Pridnestrovie will sank for several tens of thousands?

Let’s go back, however, to the European integration.

Modern Pridnestrovie of future can become the only Russian enclave in Europe. Russians, who do not feel good in the Baltic countries, may want to move to Pridnestrovie. It may happen that people from cold Siberia would like to move to future prosperous Pridnestrovie, to live close to the seaside…

What does Pridnestrovie’s administration consider to be good for people? It is a difficult question. It is difficult to say whether they have such questions or they live for the day?..

This is how we look like in the eye of Russia – poor, long-suffering threatened relative. Where will the investments come from? Who would call Israel “a long-suffering country”? Is Karabakh positioning itself like a “long-suffering” country? Both Karabakh and Israel regularly conduct warfare. It is time for Pridnestrovie’s authorities to stop taking the year of 1992 in vain in every speech, in every interview. It doesn’t help feel better those people, who haven’t left yet, who are waiting for the changes in the economy, for better salaries, pensions, medicine. This “long-suffering” image erases positive expectations. There is nothing worse for Pridnestrovie than preservation of the “military and bureaucratic” model, which has already forced most of Pridnestrovie’s population out of the country.

If Pridnestrovie is not going to become open and good for its citizens and for the whole world, who will remember about it in 20 years? Who will take care of all the monuments if everybody leaves?

Identity crisis

When you meet a stranger in Russia or in Europe and when you say you are from Pridnestrovie, Europeans and Russians react differently. Everybody heard or read something about Pridnestrovie. As a rule, Russians try to express sympathy, sorrow. They usually ask something like “Is the war over?”. Pridnestrovie is seldom mentioned in the Russian Media. Usually, it is either the war of 1991-1992 which is mentioned or the interviews of Pridnestrovian officials. They are making the image of Pridnestrovie abroad. This image doesn’t inspire many people to come to Pridnestrovie, although any little thing – like a glass of beer or a bottle of brandy or cognac help make some profit for the local businessmen, help form the budget.

The Europeans picture another image to themselves: “Pridnestrovie is a piece of the USSR, KGB and Lenin”. Of course, Europeans have no sympathy to such places. Europe saw many murderous wars during the last 20 years, and question is not about the victims. Several Pridnestrovians, who live in Europe, look much better than hundreds of thousands of refugees from the former Yugoslavia.

The identity is not only self-sentiment. It is also how Pridnestrovie is represented by the authorities and by the local media. The outside observer would get positive emotions neither listening to Pridnestrovian officials nor watching local media.

If there can be a happy-end, Pridnestrovie will become a Russian-speaking enclave with a specific ethnic and cultural environment, where tens of nationalities are mixed. It will also be an Orthodox region until people of another religion would want to come here. There is a special historical aura because of Bendery fortress and military memorial with the tombs of Russian soldiers of the Empire, the monument to Suvorov and memories about people, who made Pridnestrovie famous – they are the chemist Zelinskii and the artist Larionov.

When the leaders of Pridnestrovie speak about the aspects of “Russia’s presence” in the region, about “Russian influence”, they do not really understand how Russia interprets this terminology. Moscow of the 21st century is not likely to “threaten” somebody from Pridnestrovie. Nowaday Russia is much more interested in the European market of petroleum consumers. South Stream and Nord Stream play a more principled role than the “outposts”. In the end, USA and Russia may test the ABM system in Romania together. Some time ago, the authorities of Pridnestrovie were constantly frightening with this system everybody except perhaps children.

Russia must be really worried about Pridnestrovian administration’s inability to pay normal pensions. The collapse of the healthcare system, the absence of care about the veterans, 79% budget deficit. One day Russia may be tired of watching this “besieged island” which instead of becoming the “the island of Freedom”, became the museum of sovietdom insanity. Is this the thing Russia needs? Does it resemble nowaday Russia? Pridnestrovie is absolutely not the same.

Strengthening the positions of Russian language in Europe, expanding Pridnestorivan ethno-cultural environment is the purpose of our interest. To make Pridnestrovie attractive for any Russian living in Europe will bring much benefit and sense. Russia, looking at such Pridnestrovie, would be happy for the local citizens.

Nothing prevents Pridnestrovie from being modern, open and attractive for business today. Regional conflicts will be solved sooner or later. It is time to think now, what economic and demographic potential Pridnestrovie will have when meeting the tomorrow.


Conclusion

After 20 years of independence Pridnestrovie has very little chances to become a prosperous modern country. Post-soviet “industrial potential” can’t save the republic. Still, Pridnestrovie has a chance despite imperfect administrative model, corruption and other well-known abusive practice. There are just several things to do:

1. Pridnestrovie needs profound constitutional reform with the support of experienced experts – representatives of more prosperous countries similar to Pridnestrovie by their economic potential, human resources and other parameters.

2. A serious administrative reform is needed. Regular change of elites by political instruments should become a norm. Bureaucracy must be axed and the budget must correspond to day-to-day realities and expert estimation.

3. Political system balancing needs radical and populist parties to disappear. Communist organizations and the use of communist symbols for political purposes must be prohibited. The monuments to Lenin and other attributes of the communist past (emblems, etc.) must be removed. Russian imperial style in the architecture should be reborn and supported.

4. It is necessary to form non-corrupt and independent judicial system, the institution of independent advocacy and a system for the execution of sentences and to invite specialists who had the experience on the similar posts in the European countries.

5. It is necessary for Pridnestrovie to enter international arbitration and ECHR through Russian-Ukrainian “window” or directly.

6. It is necessary to claim for constitutional declaration of title to land and to create a mechanism of guarantees for the investors.

7. State media must be prohibited by the Constitution. The financing of the image publications from the budget or private sources in the private media must be prohibited. It is necessary to demonopolize Media market and to give the corresponding ministry the only function – allocation of radio frequencies and of other communications media.

8. Deradicalization, demilitarization and desovietization of the information flow coming from Pridnestrovie’s official structure must be conducted. Media must not be full of militarist rhetoric, which makes Pridnestrovie’s image of “besieged fortress”, “frontier post”, “empire outpost”, “piece of the USSR”, etc.

9. Open, free economic model transfer must be conducted. Tax reform is needed. Document flow must correspond to European rules and top-ranked specialists from the EU must be invited.

10. Military reform must be performed. All the relevant ministries and military structures (Cossacks, etc.) must be united into one power department. Active military service must be revoked. The united power department must be based on the contract system of completing.

All the above-listed and many other things, which are necessary for the citizens of Pridnestrovie, will give Pridnestrovie a chance to strengthen hand in dealings, to be rehabilitated in guarantor states esteem, and will improve the economic situation in the republic.

Pridnestrovie has no other chances to solve all the problems but thoroughgoing reforms. Without liberal reforms and European standards in economy and politics, Pridnestrovie has neither full present nor prospective future.




About author: Roman Konoplev is Pridnestrovian and Russian publicist and political analyst. Konoplev has lived in Pridnestrovie since 1978. He graduated from International Institute of Economics and Right (Moscow ) and Bryansk State Technical University. Roman Konoplev took part in the activities of opposition movements in Russian Federation. Roman Konoplev is the author of more than 200 journalist articles and op-ed pieces. Konoplev is the expert of several analytical centers.


Original publication: Pridnestrovie’s future: Liberal economy, Freedom and security. Roman Konoplev . Translated by Dina Konopleva.



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Gipsy Bessarabia as an alternative

By: Roman Konoplev, chief of Analytical bureau “Consulting Mobile”.

Strategy of Defeat

The results of Parliamentary elections, presidential elections failure in Moldova predetermined partly the future of this region and drew a line under the past. The eurointegration course anounced by all the political powers on the eve of elections is today externalized in reality. Lupu’s failure brought presidential trophy on loan to one of the leaders of neo-Romanian radicals.

The underlying consequences of the 2009 for Moldova will become clear later. Today, only some shapes of change can be seen - the communists forced to the background of political stage and the leaders of AEI – Vlad Filat and Mikhai Ghimpu - who come forward. They are the most “open” politicians – ex-“Moscow hand” Serafim Urekian disappears against them, and so does Marian Lupu, who appeared to be far from being a “wolf” (“lupu” means “wolf” in Latin).

Marian Lupu played a role of “a gift horse”, a compromise hobby, Moscow fell for once again, hoping to retain its influence in the region. Yet another stake didn’t prove true: Lupu was nobody and stays nobody – without weighty levers, nibbled by the communists for his “betrayal” and treated with arrogance by his new friends in the Alliance.

Even if Lupu gets president post as the result of some reforms – he won’t have any influence at the local stage. In theory, Lupu’s person – “a widget” – was prepared for one purpose: to blandish Moscow, to preserve Kremlin’s goodwill at the time when Moldova especially needs means, so as when the main processes begin and when disagreements with Russia become unconscionably crucial to obtain maximum stability. In the meantime – it is necessary to deflect Russia’s attention from deep processes carrying Moldova to its Eastern European future. It is easy to deflect it through those who allowed themselves to be seduced by Lupu.

In the Lupu’s case Romanians fooled Moscow badly – as long as ballyhoo over Lupu continues, Moldova has not the political and economic front from ex-“elder brother” but slobber and heart talks deluge about various touching topics like “history frauds”, “common religion” and so on. Today, communists and Lupu compete for “the-most-pro-Moscow” title. Meanwhile, Moldova, thanks to controls used by National-Liberals, moves right-about from Moscow.

The actual situation is sometimes demonstrated by blurt-outs made by Mikhai Ghimpu – deputy president of Moldova, by the interviews of the key Bessarabian politicians for Romanian Media, as well as implementation of the idea of “Eastern European” course which differs from “European” course by more furious attitude to Russia and continuous state of exploration of conflict points. According to Ghimpu, CIS is a creaker, and Moldova will stay in this organization as long as it is at its profit. Such an eely Russia’s ally!

Moldova is active in moving towards anti-Russian Eastern European block, because its internal inferiority complexes and peeves have much to do with such Russia’s “partners” as Poland, Georgia and The Baltic States.

For some strange reason Moscow grins and bears it, looks the other way and confines itself to standard lines concerning Russian language and history frauds.

Moldova cleared the air touching both the language and history long ago. The finishing stroke is put off till Russia supports Moldova with another financial help, liberates customs rules for the citizens of Moldova and opens four more terminals for import of Moldovan wine claytons to the territory of Russian Federation. In this situation Russia as usually appears as simpleton walked over once again. Who is to blame? Diplomats’ mistakes and laziness, Foreign Intelligence Service’s passivism, unwillingness of Russian structures to scan the sociology in the neighbour countries – one can discuss these things endlessly.

Common people do not know how to buy drugs. Drug addict – schmecker – will always find a dose with his eyes closed in any part of the planet. On the same principle, people of one and the same type enter easily the orbit of Russian structures in any country – they are cheats who want to take some money “to cinch pro-Russian vector” and propose to provide loyalty of these or that politicians and political groups in the country through shady commercial operations. As the result, the civil society is seized by absolutely different forces. Clearly, smashup comes afterwards, which is described by a harsh term in diplomatic practice – “soiled themselves”.

As the result, “Russian idea” cheats fork out with a not-bad financial bonus away from the “shorn lamb”, and erstwhile “authoritative” and entirely “pro-Russian” political forces end up in the bin.

However, Moldova manages to finagle Russia happily not only in large-scale-geopolitical respect but even in applicable sense. It is well enough to turn attention to the procedures and normative legal documents that regulate the legal conditions of Moldova citizens’ staying in Russia and the other way round – Russians staying in Moldova.

According to the intergovernmental agreement signed by both sides, Moldova has set the requirements for Russian citizens: maximum period of staying in RM – 90 days during half a year. If a Russia’s citizen enters country at the Pridnestrovian part of the border he must get a registration during 72 hours in the Moldovan Police. Those citizens of RF who enter Moldova via North or the airport don’t need registration, but these are some men in a thousand. The majority of Russians come through the Pridnestrovian border. To get Moldovan registration they need to overpass about 50 km. Of course, nobody goes to Moldova to register – so these Russians who stay in Pridnestrovie violate Moldova’s law.

For the last couple of years Chisinau authorities try to plant their idea in the minds of European Police Mission EUBAM which controlls Pridnestrovian border at the territory of the Ukraine. The idea is not to let non-citizens of Moldova pass Pridnestrovian-Ukrainian border without registration documents or without Moldovan residence permit. “Law breakers” will have to be sent to Moldova’s structures for deportations and various amercements instead.

These are the methods Moldovan authorities try to solve “Pridnestrovian problem” with. At the moment EUBAM doesn’t enterfere in the cases with civil documents, but nobody knows, what Pridnestrovie’s citizens should wait for in the future.

The Central Office of EUBAM Mission is located in Chisinau. This fact speakes volumes. Major General Dr. Ferenc Banfi leads the mission. Catching smugglers with cigarettes and chicken legs is a worthy work, of course. Surely, it is not the main thing for which EUBAM creates a circle around Pridnestrovie. Chicken legs and cigarettes are not the problems of the level of Police Structure beyond EU borders which costs much money. EUBAM is creating a trap for Russian peacekeeping mission – so as, if a new conflict begins, 600 Russian gunners and defenseless citizens of Pridnestrovie won’t even think of any help from outside. Moreover, in case of Moldova’s one-sided rapture of agreements of 1992 about peacekeeping forces, Russian soldiers staying between Moldova and Pridnestrovie can be declared unlawful. Peacekeeping contingent rotation becomes impossible and Russian millitarymen become foreigners staying illegally at the territory of Moldova. In this case the theme of document flow that has been lobbied by Moldova for many years will come into EUBAM’s play.

The peacekeeping operation out of the mouths of new Moldovan leaders is again declared to be “occupation” in defiance of agreements achieved by Vladimir Voronin and Igor Smirnov. Juridically, Moldova doesn’t take part in the peacekeeping operation and all the actions of Moldova’s officials in this direction during the last couple of months are the preparations to absolute Moldova’s breakout from the peacekeeping operation. Moldova is deliberately destructing the peacekeeping operation and this is much more serious than the problems of “history frauds”. There is a smell of a new round of the millitary conflict. Let’s return, however, to the migration problem.

The Moldovan authorities’ requirements to Russians about staying in the country for only 90 days out of half a year, which are mooched from the EU legislation, do not correspond to Russia’s practice – there isn’t such a restriction for the citizens of Moldova in Russia. These norm – “90 days out of 6 months” – is directed against Russians and Ukrainians. If anyone doesn’t understand – this is nothing else but “elimination” of Pridnestrovie. “240 000 of illegal immigrants – that is your Pridnestrovian Republic”, - this is the official position of Moldova’s authorities.

Russia looks on citizens of Moldova as “compatriots”, Moldova sees citizens of Russian Federation as unbidden guests. They are sure in Moldova that they have a right to interpret the intergovernmental agreement this way – “We give 90 days out of 6 months for Russians, and Russians can do what they want – they need gastarbeiters”.

In fact, the citizens of Moldova in Russia are guest workers. They have a legal right to live and work all year round. They just need to go to the Ukrainian border once in three months and return with a new migration card – and no problem. As for the Russian citizens – they can stay in Moldova as it’s been described above – 3 months out of 6. This is the key norm which makes 150 000 Russian citizens, who are domiciled in Pridnestrovie, “law breakers”, subject to arrest and deportation in case Moldova’s special services control passports. It will be enough if EUBAM “shows understanding” to Moldova’s position, and makes Ukrainian customs officers “catch the separatists” who don’t have Moldovan residence permit.

It is obvious that after the events of 1992, not all Pridnestrovians will take into their heads to go on hands and knees to the Moldavian police department with a request to get a document of non-citizen. The more especially as this humiliating procedure presupposes many peculiarities connected with analyses, health certificates and with endorsing by the officer of Moldovan special services. The residence permit, as you know, vests “rights” in Pridnestrovian citizen with the exception of civil and political ones. Moldovans sit at the EU’s feet – any disloyalty can become a cause for deportation. The population is competently classified by “citizens” and “guests” – not a bad method to solve the conflict, is it?

The only argument why the Ukraine has not allowed EUBAM “hunting separatists” immediately is the fact that about 80-100 thousands Ukrainian citizens live in Pridnestrovie. Of course, Moldova considers them to be criminals just like Russian citizens in Pridnestrovie.

The EUBAM mission is creating a ring around Pridnestrovians. As soon as they finally lean on the Ukrainian authorities the ring will be locked. Pridnestrovie’s business experienced something like that not long ago – they made Pridnestrovian businessmen register in Moldova. They might try to register Pridnestrovie’s citizens in the same way – through the residence permit. Of course, Moldova never stops to remind democratically that “they will forgive everybody except activists-separatists and MGB (In Pridnestrovie - Ministry of State Security)”.

Today Moldova is active in lobbying the recall of the registration for Moldovans in Russia. Moldavian Media announce that in a little while the prime ministers of two countries – Filat and Putin – will sign the corresponding agreement. Moldova is putting its best foot forward, but they are not going to recall the same measure in relation to Russians-Pridnestrovians. The juridical necessity of this registration for most of the Russian citizens in Moldova is obligatory, because most of them live in the conflict zone – in Pridnestrovie and the requirement about the registration concerns these very people. I’d notice that this elective measure to “crush separatism down” touches about 140-150 thousand people. Several dozens of thousands of them live at the territory of Pridnestrovie without residence registration. They are Pridnestrovians – citizens of Russian federation, who have their residence registration in Russia to get pension there – as a rule their relatives send this pension from Russia to Pridnestrovie. There are also those who need adequate documents to go to EU for any business or on a trip. People who have a slightest hint of Moldova or Pridnestrovie in their passport will never get a visa to EU. Such visas can be bought in Chisinau, of course, thanks to corrupt schemes and such a visa will cost about 5 thousand euros for a Moldovan citizen.

As the result, according to Moldovan legislation, at the juridical territory of Moldova – in the unrecognized Pridnestrovie – about 240 000 “illegal immigrants” live and they must be deported. Most of them - about 150 thousand people – are citizens of Russian Federation. The laws to make Russians and Ukrainians “illegal immigrants” were invented and enacted in Moldova starting with the year 1993, step by step. Russia and its structures has always let it pass without any remarks. Time was passing by, but nobody arrested people in practice because there was no need to “tickle Russia” as Moldova was throughout dependent on Russia. Those times passed. Everything that was “forbidden” yesterday is “possible” today, as we see.

The cases, when Russian citizens from Pridnestrovie were kicked out in the Chisinau airport without any reasons despite their tickets, have become very often recently. When Russian citizens from Pridnestrovie fly to Chisinau from Moscow, Moldovans set their seal to the foreign passport – the seal which is a warning that this person is breaking migration regime as he/she has residence registration in Pridnestrovie and doesn’t have a residence permit in Moldova. These incidents are followed by threats that next time these people will be deported from Moldova because they are “illegal immigrants”. The same sort of threats are addressed to Pridnestrovians who need to go to Chisinau for personal purposes. The policemen of Moldova have their illegal post between Pridnestrovie and Moldova 300 meters from Russian peacekeepers where they check documents and threaten Pridnestrovians with the same warning of deportation.

Officially, Russia doesn’t have any causes to react at the international level. However, does Russia have any reasons to treat citizens of Moldova like “compatriots”, to ignore the problem “90 days out of 6 months” which conflicts Russian practice, to credit Moldovan economic with 500 million dollars, to open new terminals for Moldovan wine in Russia, to introduce registration remissions for the citizens of Moldova? Should Russia close eyes at the same situation for its 150 000 citizens living in the juridical borders of Moldova?.. Where is the good of this mysterious kindness and generosity in relation to the country that makes citizens of Russia, living in the conflict zone, criminals?

As a matter of fact, Russian official structures have an answer to this question – Russia is trying to resist in such a manner “history frauds” and reduction of use of the Russian language in Moldova. It looks at least comical. Russian structures look like a timid suppliant proffering a begging bow, kneeling to great and pitiless Moldova: “We beg you not to falsify history, not to offend Russian-speaking community – and we will pay full well, we’ll buy off – we’ll give you gold, priceless sables, polar foxes...” Holy mackerel!

Project “Bessarabia – Gipsy land”

One can see the results of Russia’s persuasion to Moldova when deplaning in Chisinau.

The first thing that hits the eye near the Chisinau airport is a huge billboard with Moldova’s, EU’s flags and a superscription “9 MAI” on it. It is December today. But, Moldavian authorities tip all the people coming to Chisinau that on 9 May 2010 Moldova is going to celebrate “The Day of Europe”. On 25 of December 2009 Moldova will officially celebrate Christmas. The Orthodox christians rebel against it, but noone hears them. As the phraze goes, “eurointegration is on the move”.

Speaking about history textbooks which declare that locals are the descendants of Dacia-Romans and other anecdotic points, all of this has been made during decades and the given direction is obvious. Moldova is severing relations with Russia firmly and determinely, setting forth funny “very pro-Russian” clowns, because at the moment Moldova still needs something from Russia.

Well, Russians can’t “head a trick”. Moldova is a sovereign state. As its prime-ministers and other officials declared, Moldova has a right to decide – to be in NATO and in other structures or wait for some time.

At the moment Russia is not against “to be milked” for some time in exchange for funny slogans in Russian that drown in the sea of antithetic declarations in Romanian. Russian Federation has really modest targets – nonadmission of history frauds and observance of human rights of Russian-speaking people as a cover to unite Moldova. However, neither the first thing nor the second can be realized taking into account current approaches. It is possible to “feed” leaders of the Russian communities in Moldova. Some of them sometimes appear to be Moldovan special services’ officers or swindlers-politologists who “work” both with Russia and others who are not less generous. However, these things can’t decide anything in a long-term perspective. Russia is being pressed out from Moldova like toothpaste from a tube – gradually and with persistence, defiantly and mockingly.

What can Russia set forward in return?

Really, Romanians have their own view of history, which many people don’t like. During Great Patriotic War they occupied Odessa and later they “liberated” the city from themselves. Romania was tacking between Germany and anti-Hitler coalition, but Romanian soldiers’ “acts of bravery” are well-known – ethnic cleansing of Slavs, Jews and Gipsies. There are a lot of documents to confirm these facts. Romania didn’t take much responsibility for its participation in war against Soviet Union, discounting the return of Bessarabia under Moscow’s control. However, if Bessarabia is not coming to Moscow, then why in the world this disputable and circulating territory should come into Romania’s hands? Why shouldn’t it come to another nation that became a victim of genocide during World War II? The nation, whose rights are today infringed in all the European states, and even in the very Romania?

Who is meant here are Gipsies (the Romany).Distressful history of this people gives it right for its own Motherland, the center of attraction. Bessarabia can become such a place.

Along the history of Bessarabia, during its transit from Russian authorities to the Romanian ones, the Romany have never been taken into account. They have always been alien to the empires, the empires’ special services and all the possible “sociologists”. Romanians have always annihilated Gipsies. Gipsies communities that can be found today in Bessarabia fall under discrimination. It is no mere chance that after World War II when Bessarabia came under Soviet’s control several tens of thousands or even hundreds thousands Gipsies left this territory. They left for Russia from the land were they had lived for centures and were they had been killed and persecuted.

They were settling on Bryansk lands and other places in Russia where they could find goodwill of local authorities. Judging from the fact that they didn’t return to Bessarabia, they find it easier to live on a new place than in the land where their ancestry lived. In Russia, many of the representatives of this people became integrated into the environment. However, many of the Romany still live in misery, have to break laws and only few of them have what they dreamt about leaving Bessarabia.

Hitlerits and their helpers were annihilating the Romany in Europe. Gipsies fought bravely against the nazi. They were not only in the Soviet army. They defended Serbia, they were in guerrilla forces. Gipsies fought together with their orthodox Serbian brothers during tragic events at the territory of Yugoslavia not long ago. They really deserve their own state, they suffered no less than the Jews did. They want to have their own center of attraction no less than other peoples. Bessarabia can become this center – future Gipsy state, the land of the Romany.

Romanians will probably be against it, something like Gipsies do not have their own history... The history, however, can be written. The very Romania was created by France in XIX century in order to stop Russian influence coming to the Balcans. Romanians invented a fairy tale that their nation is the descendant of “Dacia-Romans”, although thereof have never existed before.

There are many countries in the world with fictional history. The Romany don’t have to invent anything – too many of them died at the hand of Hitlerits and Hitlerits’ allies and Romania was among those allies. The Romany have right for their own country. Europeans might want to go at the expense of project “Bessarabia – Gipsy land”. Many gipsies flew from persecution in Romania to North Europe and wander about European countries without having any rights ot hopes for the future. It is a serious problem for the Europeans.

The Romany are discriminated in all the countries of Eastern Europe. All of them might support the idea of their own state with a dominating Gipsy ethnos. Many of the Gipsy families who live in Russia might want to return to their own country, to have rights there, to have homes there, because many of them live in misery.

Russia could appear as one of the initiators of this project of newest state as it supported the idea of Israel at the necessary time. It is better to be a donor for friends rather than Greek to someone. Russia’s interest is rather simple – the Romany remember what is nazism very well and they, like Israel, will never have “legionary parades”, “SS marches”, textbooks about “Russian occupation” and so on. The Romany remember their history very well and they know who took care about them. They don’t hate Russia, they are Orthodox and they cherish sacred traditions. The project “Bessarabia – Gipsy land” will make history frauds impossible and it will guarantee the legitimacy to Pridnestrovie.

Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic will become the center of attraction for Moldovans – today it is the only country, although a not recognized one, where the existence of such a nation as “Moldovans” is recognized. Most of the Moldavians – about a million of people – moved to Russia. They are unlikely to return to the Romanian province – Moldova. They have job in Russia, their children go to school in Russia. If they would like to live in their culture, they will have a chance to move to Pridnestrovie and they will be sure that they will have here their Cyrillic alphabet, pelenitsa (Moldavian music), and their Orthodox brothers – Russians and the Ukrainians – will be their neighbours. Multinational Pridnestrovie will get international recognition and will have an opportunity to defend originality of every ethnos, living on the left bank of the Dniester.

I don’t think that Russians and the Ukrainians who live in Bessarabia today will have any problems. The experience of the Slavs and Gipsies living together at Balcans speaks about great potential and opportunities of such a state.

Beginning with the times of Tsarist Russia, Chisinau had never been the city where mostly Romans lived – it was a Jew place. It can be so in the future and town Soroki where mostly gipsies live will become the capital of Bessarabia. Romanians who live in Bessarabia today have their “center of attraction” – it is Bucharest. About 3 million Romanians left their country after Romania became member of the EU. So, Romania will need its Bessarabian brothers-Romanians. At the same time, many of the gipsies living in Romania will be happy to move to their own state – Bessarabia.

Russia should be ready for unexpected decesions and ambitious projects. Such an initiative is worthy of a great country, because only great countries are allowed to settle among themselves plans to create new countries. Decision-makers of the Old Europe might be thinking for some time, but sooner or later they will talk to their citizens and they will understand that this idea is profitable.

As the result, everybody will benefit – Russia, EU, Romania, Pridnestrovie and the Romany. Long-standing regional problem – Moldova – will vanish into thin air.

Original publication: Призрак Молдовы. Как Россия носит воду в решете. "Агентство политических новостей". Роман Коноплев . Translated by Dina Konopleva.



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Who will recognize Pridnestrovie? – 3

By: Roman Konoplev, chief of Analytical bureau “Consulting Mobile”.

The article is the result of trip to Venezuela 17.09-1.10.2009

Route to international recognition

To understand partially the reason of Abkhazia’s sucess on its way to international recognition, it is enough to visit the web-site of the country’s diplomatic department. There you can find a list of country’s representatives abroad. Abkhazia has representative offices in Europe (Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Italy and one representative for the countries of Western Europe), in Russian Federation (Adygeya, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Cherkessiya, Bashkortostan, Krasnodar region, Rostov, Tatarstan, embassy in Moscow) as well as in Syria, Turkey, Venezuela and Pridnestrovie.

Abkhazia signed Friendship and Cooperation Agreements with several Russian regions, as well as with Gagauzia and Pridnestrovie.

Having opened web-site of the corresponding Pridnestrovian department one can find an empty column. I know that Pridnestrovie has diplomatic representative in Venezuela and Abkhazia, so this is the result. The result is zero. Not a single objective article about Pridnestrovie will appear in foreign Media until there is a professional stuff and corresponding expences.

There are no positive articles about Pridnestrovie in foreign press. There are no Pridnestrovian Media in foreign languages which can function not abroad, but in Tiraspol. Media should be at least presented in English, Spanish, German, French, Arabic and of course, Romanian.

They say one can listen to Radio PMR (Pridnestroviskaia Moldavskaia Respublica) even in other continents. But it works at medium-frequency band. Noone in the whole world listens to such a band and doesn’t buy corresponding receiving-sets. Does anybody need such a radio to which nobody will listen to?

Today, there isn’t even one precise name for the country in foreign languages – Transnistria, Trans-Dniester republic, Transdniestria, Pridnestrovie – such things have to be finally legislated. It will be much simpliar if Pridnestrovian journalists, politicians and businessmen use the SAME word when talking to foreigners, but not four different names of the country depending on which would come to one’s head first.

The absence of information about Pridnestrovie in foreign languages in the Internet and newspapers leads to different incidents. For example, during my regular trips abroad for personal and businesslike matters none of the term mentioned above says anything to foreigners who are far from diplomacy and Media. As a rule it is necessary to explain like “Pridnestrovie is a separatist region of Moldova with mainly Russian-speaking population. We want independence”, so everybody can at least understand what part of the world it is. If you explain to a foreigner that “Pridnestrovie is a piece of land between the Ukraine and Moldova which requires becoming part of Russian Federation”, it will be just funny. People will invent jokes about Pridnestrovian citizens.

If there are no professionals to expand diplomatic and informtional activities abroad, it is necessary to invite specialists from consulting agencies who will solve problems and will realize Pridnestrovie’s targets.

Expat communities do much for unrecognized republics. Nagorno-Karabakh is supported by Armenian expat in many countries of the world. Four workers of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Washington office managed to get financion from the USA Congress. Representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh worked much to get donations from private individuals, first of all thanks to expats.

Turkish Republic of Northen Cyprus has 23 representative offices in foreign countries, including Washington and Permanent Headquarters of the United Nations in New-York.

Palestine has representative offices in 81 states. The result of their work is recognition by more than 100 countries of the world. Twenty states – members of the United Nations have their representatives in Palestine.

Somaliland which accepted the declaration of independence in 1991 has representatives in 5 countries. Somaliland works with a consulting company headed by the former United Nations diplomat because the country doesn’t have own specialists.

Taiwan has 118 representative offices abroad. 66 countries have their embassies in Taiwan.

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has 29 representative offices abroad and invites third parties for diplomatic work. The result – recognition by 81 states.

Abkhazia, Somaliland and Taiwan are not members of United Nations Organization, but are members of UNPO - Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation. Former members of UNPO who got independence are Armenia, Estonia, Latvia, Georgia, Palu. It is not difficult to send a request about membership to the UNPO secretariat in the Hague and to appoint a representative of Pridnestrovie. It is not expensive either. But it hasn’t been done.

Pridnestrovie is a multinational country. Armenian, Bulgarian, German, Jewish, Syrian communities who live in Pridnestrovie could have helped in the question of recognition of our republic through their expats in other countries. However, Pridnestrovian authorities ignore this kind of activities.

PMR authorities should pay their attention at inviting foreign missions to work in Pridnestrovie. Diplomatic non-recognition doesn’t mean Pridnestrovie can’t invite such missions. This activities do not imply any expenses for the budget.

Certainly, these are not all the measures that can bring international recognition to our republic. Surely, there must be changes inside Pridnestrovie, at least speaking about country’s appearance and national symbols.

European-style remodelling in the communist conservancy

We can’t give our politicians a chance to fly in the world of illusions thinking that psychology of the soldiers of “besieged fortress” and work “in the name of the future” make us “free” and “independent” and make the republuc a fully ligitimate member of the world community. We will never make either our young people or foreigners love the monuments to Lenin. Lenin for the Ukranian people means the memory about tens of thousands those deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan because of their political disloyalty to Soviet. In 1940 ethnic Romanians were sent to Siberia to work hard for 15 years. There were not only Romanians but Russian people who ran from Bolshevick terror. Efrosiniya Kersnovskaya (Eufrosinia Kersnovskaya (December 26, 1907 (January 8, 1908)) - memoirist, GULAG prisoner, bessarabian landowner who had been expelled from Bessarabia for settling and forced labor in Siberia in 1941 and then convicted for long-term corrective labor camps.

Author of 2200 pages memoirs, accompanied by 700 drawings of her childhood years in Odessa and Bessarabia, deportation and stay in the Gulag. Full text of Efrosinia Kersnovskaya’s memoirs in 6 volumes, was published only in 2001-2002).

Today, many people try to make a “small Europe” in their homes, at work in the office, in the car. Even local communists do not prefer to drive “Moskvich”. Powerful people of this world tint windows of their cars. They must be doing it because thay do not want to see the town with its USSR in the center of Tiraspol. But people who are responsible for the appearance of our capital must think that foreigners should melt when looking at Tiraspol. If our municipal and republican authorities start treating our capital as they treat their own houses and appartments then some day people would consider us equal. Unit of the former USSR is not interesting to anybody. Even North Korea deleted all the facts about building communism from their Constitution.

The appearance of Tiraspol as well as national symbols should follow world tendencies like almost everybody try to follow some style. We do not live in the zoo to be shown on TV as a part of USSR forgotten by everyone. If we want to be recognized at least by anyone it is necessary to liquidate this parody of the Soviet system. It is even hard for Russia to recognize communist reserve, not to mention other countries. The facts should correspond to visual design. We live in a capitalist country and there are no other variants. A civilized country is usually decorated by pieces of art but not by totalitarian statues and symbols of the Red Terror.

It is absolutely necessary to get rid of hammer and sickle in national symbols of Pridnestrovie which are the key attributes of the Soviets and the communist obscurantism. Some people think with nostalgia of soviet times even today, but nobody in Russia is going to rehabilitate the NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) executioners and re-impose the death penalty for the victims of Gulag rehabilitated a few years ago, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s works are included in the school curriculum. Nobody feels a pity about either communist executioners who annihilated Emperor Nicolay’s family or about those who made the best of the Russian nation and Russian intellectuals refugees. The flag and emblem of Russia today are pre-revolutionary flag and coat of arms. There have been dozens of documentaries on Russian TV that Ulyanov-Lenin was a common German special-service agent who was crying havoc in the country.

Monuments to Lenin should be taken out of the territory of Pridnestrovie as soon as possible and as far as possible. Of course, there are certain admirers of totalitarian “art”. It is always possible to open at the outskirts of Tiraspol a museum of communist period for them with all those round-headed monsters as well as with barbed wire, watchtowers camp, wax figures of the NKVD executioners and with portraits of those whose relatives perished in concentration camps, gas chambers and mental hospitals under the Soviets. “Communism fans” might rehabilitate after visiting such a museum for some years.

Today, weapon exhibits can’t be a monument to anything. Guns, tanks and aircraft stand at the squares neither in Moscow nor in any other capital of the world. Tank is not a piece of art. Partisans Square, for example, is the main Bryansk square (Bryansk is a city in Russia, located 379 km southwest from Moscow. It is the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast. Population: 431,526 (2002 Census).) where you can see a great monument which shows participants of II World War – soldiers and partisans. The monument shows those tragic events, people’s desire to liberation from the occupants better than the gun barrel. An Orthodox chapel would be quite in place where one could light a candle for the repose of the souls of our soldiers... The chapel won’t allow to conduct weekly meetings with loudspeakers near to graves of the fallen. The meetings which has long been out of place. A monument to a soldier with a child or other sculpture symbolizing peace would have decorated the center of Tiraspol and would correct the image of communist reserve which is “proud of its military power” with poverty which horrifies any European. Even if everything doesn’t look so bad from the inside, in the eyes of the world it looks that way and we should not be indifferent to such a view about us.

Pridnestrovian public figures who were born in USSR can’t lock themselves in their dreams that they will be able to recreate some camp society despite their merits and people’s respect. The society where everybody would march and praise their beloved leader despising the rest of the world for misuderstanding of this society’s exclusivity. Nothing of the kind can happen in Pridnestrovie either under communist, far Orthodox, imperial or any other souce. Any talk of the “ring of enemies” leads to exodus of people who are fully aware of the world they live in and who know how things work in other countries.

The problem of other countries’ attitude to Pridnestrovie can be solved, firstly, by the authorities’ attitude to their citizens, by political and economic climate in the country, secondly, by proper funding of the diplomatic, information and image structures. The professionalism of Pridnestrovian diplomats, businessmen, politicians and journalists who establish new republic’s ties with other members of the international community is not less important. If Pridnestrovie doesn’t want to terrify anybody with its appearance, and if the country wants to be seen as a civilized state it should look appropriately. In this case, we are just doomed to be recognized.




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Who will recognize Pridnestrovie? – 2

By: Roman Konoplev, chief of Analytical bureau “Consulting Mobile”.

The article is the result of trip to Venezuela 17.09-1.10.2009



Why Abkhazia has been recognized by Venezuela, but not Pridnestrovie?

To size the effectiveness of any state’s activities on its way to independence, there is only one criterion – the result. However, it is not enough to repeatand repeat phrases about struggle, “besieged fortress” to get positive result. Of course, it is hard to say that Pridnestrovie is surrounded by friends. On the one side is Moldova, which authorities are ready to speak to us only about one thing – about our surrender. On the other side is the Ukraine which is not interested in unsettled conflict near to its border. There are the supporters of Pridnestrovie’s independence both at the territory of the Ukraine, Moldova and Russia, but these people are too far from decision-making levers. But it is necessary to understand one thing: diplomatic efforts and meetings between heads of Ministries of Forreign Affairs are not enough for Pridnestrovie to be heard in other countries in the world. The theme of Pridnestrovie’s problems, life of Pridnestrovie’s people has to be declared for all to hear. Politicians and civil servants in any civilized country always follow public mood. Being in confrontation, political groups seek to “harness” this or that question or problem about which newspapers write articles, TV channels speak and people think.

Speaking about Abkhazia which has been recognized by states of Latin America, by Venezuela in particular, it is necessary to admit that “Pridnestrovian” problem, unlike Abkhazian, is not known in Latin America. There are no parallels between Pridnestrovie and two Caucasian republics.

After talking with Russian journalists who live and work in Latin America, with representatives of Russian regions and companies and with Abkhazian diplomats and journalists, it is possible to make a number of abstracts:

1. People of Latin America has heard much about Abkhazia and South Osetia. There usually appear publications and expert opinions in press. The people of Venezuela knows about problems of these countries. Speaking about Pridnestrovie, Latin American Media doesn’t raise the question of our republic. Something is made in the news format but there is no public precise opinion, these isn’t any definite understanding of this question. Neither Chavez’s political powers nor opposition have any definite opinion about Pridnestrovie. If this or that problem doesn’t exist in Media and is not the question to discuss, not a single president of any country would dare recognize a new country. Official representative of diplomatic office of Pridnestrovie works in Venezuela, but this is the only direction where any work is being done. On the level of Media and on the level of civil contacts Pridnestrovie does nothing.
2. The question of Pridnestrovie’s recognition by Latin American countries and, first of all, by Venezuela, is a political one. Venezuela’s position is not directed to recognition of independence of new states, because there are regions and communities in Venezuela with “separatist consciousness”. Speaking about Bolivia, the situation there is even more complicated, becuse separatist regions of Bolivia are represented by almost the whole country. Very serious lobbying tools are necessary to change moods of the elites. The recognition of Abkhazia and South Osetia has become unexpected for Latin American politicians. There were talks about it, but almost no steps were made in this direction. However, it is not correct to say that the idea of recognition of Caucasian republics was exported by Moscow. Venezuela is quite capable to make such decisions independently. If Moscow had this influence, then Abkhazia and Osetia would have been recognized a year ago.

ITAR-TASS correspondent in Venezuela Mikhail Makeev told about the development of the situation with recognition of Abkhazia and about Pridnestrovie’s opportunities in Latin America:

Everything was happening very slow. There was no direct answer to Abkhazian people for a long time. They had to speak, to explain, to show. Abkhazia worked for its recognition on the level of governments, parliaments. MPs and politicians were invited. In my opinion, it was right and helpful. At the beginning of the year people knew that there is such a problem.

As for Pridnestrovie, it is important to start activities on the level of Media and business-community. One more idea – to offer Venezuela to train specialists in Pridnestrovie. It is a very important direction where Pridnestrovian people can offer their services to train, for example, doctors, engineers and other specialists. There is shortage of professionals in Venezuela. Exchange of experience in high technology industries is also possible as Pridnestrovie is an industrial region and it certainly has something to offer to potential Latin American partners. Question of electricity is really urgent in Venezuela. Here in Venezuela they have coal, gas, oil. It is possible that specialists from Pridnestrovie come to help built power stations. There are many directions of activities. In this case, Venezuela and other Latin American countries might show their intiative in the question of recognition.

Rashid Gabdullin, correspondent of Russian editions “Parliament newspaper” (“Parlamentskaya gazeta”), “Tribune” (“Tribuna”) in Latin American countries believes that a very important component of Venezuela’s economic development is international cooperation:

Venezuela of course has its peculiarities, in particular, any beginning faces bureaucracy and very often official can’t put the matter to rest without coordinating with authorities or headquarters, who always take into account public opinion. The main requirement when starting any projects in Venezuela is social component. Foreign companies, for example, have to build firs-aid-posts, schools, sport grounds, etc. near to factory/plant/enterprise they construct.

Of course, Venezuela will always monitor its key partner’s – Russia’s attitude to Pridnestrovie. If Pridnestrovie is recognized by Russia, in this case the process of recognition of Pridnestrovie by Latin American countries will advance. It is necessary that the relations between Tiraspol and Moscow move off dead center.

Pridnestrovie should first of all work with Medvedev and Putin. However, it is also necessary to open offices in other countries with Pridnestrovian representatives, diplomats, but the work should be done not only at the level of diplomatic relations but also at the level of Media, society and business. I know that Pridnestrovian office here, in Caracas is ready to open. It is situated in a very good place – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, Parliament, Diplomatic Academy are near to the office. Booklets are printed, so every small step has a reasonable resonance. It is important that this work is not fragmentary but regular...

The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia in Venezuela, Zaur Gvadzhava commented on the situation with recognition of his country:

We have been working here since the January of 2009 and I see that the official representative of Pridnestrovie Christian Laslov Furst works in the diplomatic direction, but it is not enough. Venezuelan Media never mention Pridnestrovie. In its turn, Abkhazia has sent an official leter with a request for recognition. The letter was presented in March. It has been examined for some time and eventually the positive decision was made. It was partly the Cucasian conflict position of the USA that played its role in the recognition of Abkhazia by Venezuela. The representatives of Venezuela visited Abkhazia in 2007 and diplomats were working hard for some years, but Media also helped a lot as well as civil structures. That is not the case when work is done by official representatives. Much depends on the opinion of the society. For the last couple of years there were many articles about Abkhazia and South Osetia published in Venezuela, but I’ve never seen a single publication about Pridnestrovie here. Venezuelan society is unfamiliar with this problem.

I would like to make only one small side note: there hasn’t been any letters with the request of recognition sent to President of Venezuela by Pridnestrovian official government instituations.

(To be continued..)



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