Video report of Germany’s Deutsche Welle annoys the Transnistrian leadership
Germany’s Deutsche Welle media outlet is being asked to refute the information provided in a video report about the smuggling actions from Transnistria which was recently broadcasted on TV. According to a press release of the so-called Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Transnistria, Deutsche Welle should deny the information presented, which was later on uploaded on YouTube.
“Reputable and authoritarian enough Deutsche Welle has demonstrated an example of savage journalism and ‘black PR’,” the so-called Foreign Ministry writes in a press release.
The German broadcaster published a thorough investigation on their website on April 21 about the way the customs officers check enhance the necessary control of the vehicles crossing the border between Ukraine and Transnistria.
“The beginning of this year saw a change of administration in Transnistria. It's trying to gradually open up to the international community. After 20 years of isolation, the region's economy is in tatters,” wrote the journalists from Deutsche Welle.
Transnistrian officials accuse the journalist making the reportage that he misinforms the public by presenting wrong information.
“The proofless accusations of the author create a bad image not only to Transnistria, but also to the customs service of Ukraine and Moldova, and to EUBAM mission,” the Transnistrian authorities said.
The author of the video reportage said, at the end of his story, that Transnistria needs proper policing at the border, otherwise the smuggling process will still be a problem for this region of Europe.
“It’s only natural that Transnistria wants to be seen in a different light, but to me it seems stuck in a ‘catch 22 situation’. As long as Transnistria insists on its independence, there can be no proper policing on its borders. And if there is no proper policing, then smuggling will remain a problem in the South-East corner of Europe.”
Transnistria is a breakaway region of Moldova which went apart after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Russia has a strong influence in the region, especially after the war between Moldova and Russia over Transnistria which ended with a ceasefire in 1992. Ever since, Russia deployed its troops on the territory naming them peacekeepers. For more than 20 years, Transnistria is the zone to enter smuggling products to the neighboring countries.
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