Special Representative of OSCE Wolf Dietrich Heim undertakes a visit to Tiraspol where he will meet with the so-called minister of foreign affairs Vitaly Ignatiev. Separatist authorities announced that during this visit will rise the issue on resumption of rail freight transport in Transnistria.

Transnistria's alleged foreign ministry is seeking a new agreement on rail transport with Chisinau until the end of 2017.

Tiraspol has sent to Chisinau an agreement on rail traffic in 2016, but separatist diplomats complain that Moldovan side did nothing to adopt the proposed document. In this respect, the alleged foreign ministry will ask external partners, including Austrian OSCE chairmanship to intermediate the matter.

We recall that in the summer of 2016, Tiraspol accused  Kiev and Chisinau of a fuel crisis in the region, although the stations in Transnistria were selling both gasoline and diesel. Transnistrian side has accused Moldova and Ukraine of establishing a fuel blockade by not allowing the passage of reservoirs with fuel through the Transnistrian segment of the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. The problem was an artificial one, because the importers of petroleum products from Transnistria have unlimited access to fuels imported from Romania or transiting through the neighboring country.

In November 2016 the Moldovan government has allowed direct transit of petroleum products from Ukraine to Transnistria via a Moldovan customs point. Tiraspol believes that the decision of Chisinau will have a positive effect on the economic activity of Transnistria, Ukraine and Moldova, which is having losses after Chisinau introduced in July new restrictions in rail transport.

"This decision is to stabilize the situation at the "Transnistrian Railways", says the press release of the alleged foreign ministry from Tiraspol.

"There is the mechanism on the principles of plenary resuming of train transport through the Transnistrian region from March 30, 2012. A period, the trains have circulated, including those who were transporting excise goods through the Transnistrian segment. In August 2016, Ukraine stopped placing petroleum products on the Transnistrian segment. Namely, the customs clearence of petroleum products began to be done in Ocnita after that were taken towards Bender 2 or Rabnita," said Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration.

Bender 2 and Rabnita crossing points are related to Moldova. In fact, Bender 2 is on the Varnita territory controlled by Chisinau. On July 29, 2016 in Chisinau took place the meeting of the working group on rail transport Ukraine - Moldova. Kiev has suggested that it is not against Chisinau to include the customs Bender 2 as a destination point for petroleum products.

"We drafted the resolution that is in the interests of economic agents, because shortens the path of transporting petroleum production, so it is not necessary to make the road from Odessa to Ocnita, Northern Moldova and back to Bender," said Gheorghe Balan.