Moldova prohibits trading with Transnistria in its currency
Moldovan authorities prohibit their enterprises from concluding transactions with Transnistrian partners in their national currency, the lei, although official propaganda calls Transnistria part of Moldova.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Transnistria, Vitaly Ignatiev, stated this on the TSV television channel, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“Currently there are facts that Moldova prohibits payments in lei. In particular, our metallurgical plant purchased scrap metal from a Moldovan state company, but cannot pay because the bank blocked payments in lei. It is impossible to find adequacy in such behavior,” Ignatiev said.
According to him, the banks of Moldova themselves demand clarification from their National Bank within the framework of international consultations.
“Moldovan business is interested in working with Pridnestrovian business. Banks are also interested. These accounts have been functioning for many years and there have been no issues. The regulator responded: contact the office of the political representative of Moldova (at settlement negotiations). He thereby recognized the absolutely politically inspired nature of the restrictions,” the minister noted.
Let us remind you that in August Moldovan banks closed foreign currency accounts of 25 Pridnestrovian enterprises under the formal pretext that they were allegedly financing terrorism. As it turned out later, this was done on the direct orders of the government.
Through these enterprises, the republic converted the excess Moldovan currency received from the sale of electricity into the currency of other countries, necessary for the purchase of food, medicine and other essential goods. Transnistria has a surplus in trade with Moldova for the year ranging from 100 to 130 million US dollars.
In October, Moldovan President Igor Dodon personally promised to solve this problem, but it has not yet been resolved.
Transnistrian businesses were forced to open accounts with Moldovan banks in 2011, when Moldova filed a complaint with the US Treasury. After this, the Americans recommended that banks stop working with Tiraspol. This has complicated the work of Pridnestrovian enterprises, 30% of whose export products go to European Union countries.
Moldova Bans Trade with Transnistria in Its Currency