The Vice Speaker of the Russian State Duma, Sergey Zheleznyak, stated at a meeting with a parliamentary delegation of Transnistria that MPs from United Russia were ready to extend cooperation with the PMR, including establishing joint working groups in several directions. “We will contribute to deepening of socio-economic, scientific, and cultural contacts, and a joint settlement of the existing problems,” Zheleznyak promised. And the non-recognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic has really difficult problems in its economy.
According to Alexander Martynov, chairman of the Supreme Committee on Economic Policy of the Council of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, at the end of 2015 the decline of the Transnistrian economy was 15%, as a result of which the state budget revenues reduced and arrears of wages and pensions appeared. “Now the draft budget for 2016 is being considered, where the deficit on socially-protected articles alone amounts to about 10% of GDP. Risks that wages will be delayed will remain this year,” Martynov said.
He thinks the key point is the political non-recognition of Transnistria: “We have problems with foreign economic activity all the time. Moldova has joined the European free trade zone. This has led to certain consequences for Transnistria. In other words, it becomes more and more difficult to carry out foreign economic activity. And considering the fact that Transnistria has an open economy, any problems with foreign trade activities directly affect the budget and immediately affect the life of every Transnistrian. Political non-recognition has considerable influence on the investment attractiveness of Transnistria – in a negative way, of course. Today, investment in our economy amounts to less than 15% of GDP, which means, in general, that the state is not developing economically.”
Martynov urges Moscow to intensify economic cooperation with the PMR: “Transnistria has plenty to offer. We still have formerly famous throughout the Soviet Union, such as 'Tirotex', 'KVINT', 'Moldavkabel'. Some of these enterprises are enterprises with a Russian share. And today Transnistrian producers are interested in ensuring that these companies enter the Russian market without problems and increase their exports to Russia.”
