During an interview with Radio Liberty, Vyacheslav Moskalevsky, general director and minority shareholder of Roshen Corporation, said that Roshen Confectionery Corporation sells its products to Sheriff company of the unrecognized Transnistria Moldovan republic. Moskalevsky said "Well, yes, we trade, of course, and not only we; the fact is that we trade with them as residents of Moldova, understand?"

On the remark that Transnistria is a separatist region, Moskalevsky replied, "Actually, I'm not aware that it’s separatist. It's been [our business to trade with them for] 10 or 20 years now." He added, "In fact, we are sending the goods to Moldova, and therefore to Tiraspol. The fact that Moldova is now considering how they should work with Transnistria is a question for me, you see? I'm not the only one. Moldova raised the question only recently when this practice has already been conducted for 20 years."

Roshen’s President considers the business legal and transparent. "Of course, it's transparent. Goods are validated at customs, I have all customs declarations, and I have cars leaving after which I get money." Moskalevsky also added, "I don’t trade money. Of course, Sheriff has bank accounts; it pays money, buys goods.”

He explained, "You see, the situation is that Transnistria region is on the border of Moldova and Ukraine and there is no Moldovan border service, and it’s another question why there’s none, you see? I can say that I’ve gone to Chisinau many times, and when you go to Chisinau from Ukraine, you drive along the Poltava-Chisinau road, pass through Transnistria, that is, in order to get to Moldova, you need to drive through Transnistria."

Moskalevsky added, "That's why it's a very difficult question. This question is probably on the agenda for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. As you know, I'm not the only one there; there's Coca-Cola and others. If Moldova is interested, then shouldn’t it think about how it is going to work with Transnistria at all?"

Recently, Moldovan media wrote that Ukrainian companies earn from exports to the separatist region of Moldova. Among the largest exporters of goods to Transnistria are the Ukrainian representative offices of the Coca-Cola and Nestle brands, as well as Roshen. Their main business partner is the Transnistria private limited company Sheriff of the oligarch Viktor Gushan.

Last summer, Ukraine threatened Belarusian companies with sanctions for supplying goods to the LPR (Luhansk People’s Republic) and DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic).

  Roshen, Transnistria, Ukraine

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