Dmitry Kozak, Special Representative of Vladimir Putin Arrived in Chișinău. He will have a Meeting with President Maia Sandu
Dmitry Kozak, deputy head of the administration of the Presidency of the Russian Federation, arrived in Chișinău on Wednesday evening, August 11, where he is paying a working visit. The special representative of the Russian president Vladimir Putin is going to have a meeting with the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu.
“The President of Moldova is responsible for foreign policy, I will meet with Dmitry Kozak, and this meeting will be attended by Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu and Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Vladislav Kulminski, who are involved in resolving the Transnistrian conflict,” said President Sandu.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak as his special representative for the development of trade and economic relations with Moldova. A decree to this effect was signed by the Kremlin chief on July 12, 2018.
Dmitri Kozak’s name is linked to the 2003 Transnistrian conflict settlement plan, known as the Kozak Memorandum or Kozak Plan. The plan aimed at establishing an asymmetric Moldovan federal state and stationing Russian troops on the territory of Moldova for another 20 years (until 2023). The Kozak plan stipulated that the future federation will have a bicameral parliament: the House of Representatives (with 71 deputies) and the Senate (with 26 senators, of which 13 representatives of Moldova, 9 of Transnistria, and 4 of Găgăuzia).
It was proposed that the state language be “Moldovan, and the official language throughout the federal republic – Russian,” without specifying the difference between the state language and the official language. The signing of the Kozak Memorandum was to take place in Chișinău, and Vladimir Putin was to attend the event.
The Ministry of Exterior note states that the Russian official will meet with representatives of the Chișinău government to discuss “priority issues of the Moldovan-Russian bilateral agenda.”
The Promo-LEX Association asks the constitutional authorities of Moldova to discuss with Dmitry Kozak the importance of respecting human rights as a fundamental principle of democracy and the rule of law throughout Moldova, including in the Transnistrian region.
Promo-LEX officials note that both states are responsible for the human rights situation, highlighting some important issues, found by the European Court and still to be executed for the realization and guarantee of equal rights for all citizens. According to Promo-LEX, one of the serious problems remains the situation of the 8 schools in the territory controlled by the de facto administration of Tiraspol, but under the jurisdiction of the constitutional Moldovan authorities. Recently, an attempt was registered to suspend the activity of the “Lucian Blaga” High School from Tiraspol for a period of 3 months. Hundreds of students being at risk of not being able to start the educational process in the new year of studies 2021 – 2022. The situation of schools is just one of the serious problems facing the inhabitants of the Transnistrian region. The Promo-LEX association won the case in more than 50 cases examined by the ECtHR, which ordered the collection of a total of over 5 million euros in moral, material, and legal aid for the benefit of more than 2000 victims of rights violations.
”We will mention the issue of the application of inhuman and degrading treatment, the abusive application of detentions, and arrests in the region, including on the basis of false accusations and against persons who have critical opinions about the regime and those who control this territory of Moldova. More recently, the Tiraspol regime has put the repressive system into practice against people who expose themselves freely in public, thus being convicted of alleged acts of extremism and espionage. Given that the visit of the senior Russian dignitary is an opportunity to address these issues, Promo-LEX has repeatedly called on the authorities of both states to make every effort to:
• the immediate release of political detainees from the Transnistrian region accused abusively of committing crimes;
• the cessation of criminal proceedings against persons accused of violating the “law of extremism” adopted by the Tiraspol regime and which is an instrument of repression against freedom of expression;
• Execution of individual and general measures resulting from ECtHR decisions on Human Rights Violations in the Transnistrian Region of Moldova;
• ensuring free access for effective monitoring of the human rights situation in the Transnistrian region, including by involving human rights defenders but also UN Special Rapporteurs;
• sanctioning persons responsible for human rights violations in this territory;
The Promo-LEX Association considers that human rights issues are basic elements that will positively and effectively help the process of identifying solutions for the peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian problem. If these issues are further ignored, the negotiation process will remain formal, inefficient, and fruitless.
At the same time, Promo-LEX reminds the new authorities in Chișinău that full responsibility for the human rights situation on the left bank of the Dniester remains a positive obligation of Moldova and urges state institutions to prioritize the process of identifying solutions by consulting, involving, and informing civil society.”
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