Transnistria Rejects Chisinau Proposals

Moldova's breakaway republic of Transnistria has rejected Chisinau's proposals for the future status of the separatist region, a deputy foreign minister of Transnistria said on Monday.

Transnistria is pressing Moldova for independence, but Moldova is only offering the rebel region broad autonomy.
Alexander Malyarchuk said that the proposals, announced last December by Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin, "do not take into account the existing realities and the opinion of the people of Transnistria."

Relations between Moldova and its separatist region have been tense since Moldova declared its independence from the Soviet Union, and Transnistria in turn proclaimed itself an independent republic. Russia has deployed peacekeepers in Transnistria since July 1992.

"Transnistria believes that the given documents cannot serve as a basis for effective political dialogue and cannot be viewed as a subject for discussions within any format," the diplomat added.

International talks on Transnistria were suspended in 2006. Hopes that talks would finally resume were given a boost after a meeting between the presidents of Transnistria and Moldova in the Transnistrian city of Bendery in April last year.

However, another round of talks between them scheduled for September last year was postponed after the parties failed to agree on a venue.

Comments (0)