Minister of Defense Alexandru Pinzari and Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Cristina Lesnic inspected the illegal posts installed by Tiraspol in some localities in Dubasari district (video)

CHISINAU, July 3, 2020 - The Minister of Defense Alexandru Pinzari, together with the Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, Cristina Lesnic, paid a working visit today to the localities on the Cocieri plateau, in order to document the situation created as a result of Tiraspol`s installation of illegal checkpoints and, respectively, the prohibition of the movement of citizens between the two banks of the Dniester. The decision to go to that region was taken after the Office for Reintegration received multiple complaints from citizens according to which, starting with July 1, an impressive number of people cannot leave the Transnistrian region.

During the visit, officials met with peacekeepers in the region and became acquainted with the real situation on the ground. At the same time, they repeatedly checked the nature of Tiraspol`s actions and the problems faced by the citizens of this area.

The Minister of Defense discussed with the representatives of Chisinau in the peacekeeping forces, who received instructions to document in due time the actions of Tiraspol and subsequently, to notify the law enforcement bodies in order to be legally qualified.

In turn, Cristina Lesnic mentioned: "These people block the traffic with various installations and cars and try to assign illegal prerogatives to control and record people. We wanted to document ourselves on the spot with the unilateral actions of Tiraspol and to repeatedly notify the mediators and observers in the Transnistrian settlement process in connection with the flagrant violation of human rights and statutory documents by Tiraspol".

According to the Office for Reintegration, during the emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tiraspol unilaterally installed no less than 37 illegal checkpoints around localities subordinated to the constitutional authorities. Such actions impede the free movement of about 50 thousand inhabitants from 11 localities and intentionally tensions the situation in the Security Zone. The respective measures generated several protests and the blocking of the Ribnita-Rezina bridge, but also complaints regarding the impossibility of travel, including in the localities of Dubasari and Varnita, and on the barriers imposed on free movement by Tiraspol.

One of the most affected areas is the Cocieri Plateau, the localities located here being surrounded by mobile and fixed posts illegally installed by Tiraspol, with the presence of so-called border guards.