On the one hand, these reactions show a refusal to accept the idea of Transdniester\u2019s joining the Russian Federation, after the Crimean model, and on the other hand, they point to international concern over a possible Russian plan of extending the federation towards the West.<\/p>\n
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The request of the Tiraspol MPs to have Transdniester join the Russian Federation is nothing new. After 1990, when the region broke away from the Republic of Moldova, such requests have been constantly forwarded to the Russian Duma, which in a 1999 resolution referred to Transdniester as \u201can area of strategic interest\u201d for Moscow.<\/p>\n
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A 2006 referendum clearly showed the desire of the Russian-speaking population in Transdniester to become part of the Russian Federation. Despite being forced by international laws, Moscow hasn\u2019t changed its official position, standing for negotiations in the five-plus-two format, which should grant a special status to the region of Transdniester, in the Republic of Moldova.<\/p>\n
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Against the backdrop of the latest developments, namely Ukraine\u2019s destabilization following the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the emergence of federalist tendencies at the Russian Federation\u2019s eastern borders and in the Odessa – Black Sea area, Transdniester\u2019s request seems just another piece in a dangerous puzzle.<\/p>\n
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In a first reaction, the Moldovan government has criticized the vote in Tiraspol, which it described as defying the process of settling the conflict in Transdniester and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. According to Radio Romania\u2019s correspondent in Chisinau, the Moldovan Prime Minister Iurie Leanca has described the vote as a unilateral and counterproductive move.<\/p>\n
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Iurie Leanca: \u201cThe only way of identifying a final and viable solution to the conflict in Transdniester is the continuation of political dialogue, without preconditions within the existing negotiation mechanisms.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
If most of the politicians in Chisinau, including the communists, believe that Moscow will not take into consideration Transdniester\u2019s request, in Bucharest such a scenario has sparked off a lot of concern, as Romania is the Republic of Moldova\u2019s staunchest supporter in the latter\u2019s efforts to join the European Union. We recall that Moldova\u2019s EU integration was conditioned on the settling of the Transdnistrean issue.<\/p>\n
Here is Romanian president Traian Basescu: <\/strong>\u201cWe have made all diplomatic moves, so that this EU-Moldova Association Agreement, due to be voted by the European Parliament, should also include prospects of Moldova\u2019s European integration. You can negotiate, you can do anything, but you cannot join the EU with a frozen conflict on your own territory.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
According to Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean, a situation like this calls for the rapid involvement of the OSCE presidency, because initiatives, such as those taken by the legislature in Tiraspol can run counter to the fundamental principle of settling a conflict through political channels. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Following Wednesdays vote in the so-called Parliament of the unacknowledged breakaway republic of Transdniester, in the east of the Republic of Moldova, reactions have emerged promptly and vehemently.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":50193,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-53560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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