Interviews from Tiraspol Times

	Igor Smirnov: "We have not worked enough with other countries" - Pridnestrovie's President admits that his country hasn't done enough to actively promote its diplomatic interests abroad. Igor Smirnov wants to establish closer ties to some of the many members of the United Nations. In this interview, he re-affirms that international recognition of PMR's independence is the main goal....
	Igor Smirnov: "There can be no common state with Moldova ... our people made that very clear" - In a direct style with no diplomatic niceties, Igor Smirnov reveals that he broke out laughing when he read his Moldovan counterpart Vladimir Voronin's strategy for solving their territorial conflict. He calls Voronin's plan "wishful thinking" caused by early election campaigning. Pridnestrovie's President also says that future talks will focus on normalizing relations between Moldova and the PMR. ...
	Alexei Ostrovsky: "Some political forces are ready to immediately recognize the unrecognized republics" - Alexei Ostrovsky, Chairman of the Russian Duma's Committee for CIS Affairs, says that some political forces want to recognize the independence of the unrecognized countries of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transdniestria, while others are against this and yet a third group prefers a "wait and see" attitude....
	Vladimir Voronin: "I can no longer hide my optimism" - While Moldova's President Vladimir Voronin blackmails Russia with the threat of NATO membership, he also says he is ready to trade his country's potential NATO membership in return for Russia's backing of what he calls the "re-integration" of Moldova and Pridnestrovie. In this interview, he furthermore declares a need to "express optimism which I can no longer hide."...
	Valerianus Tulgar: "Moldovans in Transnistria overwhelmingly back independent statehood" - The overwhelming majority of ethnic Moldovans who live in Pridnestrovie (Transnistria, in Romanian) support independence and statehood rather than absorption into Moldova. That is the conclusion of the leader of the country's largest civil society organization for Moldovans. Valerianus Tulgar is the president of the Union of Moldovans in Pridnestrovie....
	Yevgeny Shevchuk: "Pridnestrovie must engage constructively with Moldova and Ukraine" - Pridnestrovie has to normalize its relations with the governments of Ukraine and Moldova, and find ways for all three parties to coexist peacefully in a shared space. That is the opinion of PMR Parliamentary Speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk. The young pro-democracy politician says that "they are our neighbors and we should agree on the terms of living with them." ...
	Nina Dyulgerova: "Extrapolation of the Kosovo precedent is inevitable" - Will independence-seeking Kosovo set a precedent for other conflicts elsewhere? The answer is yes, if Kosovo becomes independent. In that case, "extrapolation is inevitable" says Bulgarian Professor of History Nina Dyulgerova. ...
	Modest Kolerov: "Status settlement must be grounded in reality" - Any status settlement between Moldova and Pridnestrovie has to be based on reality. So says Modest Kolerov, who until recently was one of the top men in the Kremlin dealing with minority protection of Russians abroad. ...

	Andrei Stratan: "Moldova relies on USA's support"
	Yevgeny Shevchuk: "We want to treat each other with respect"
	Grigore Mărăcuţă: "Every nation has the right to choose its own path"
	Igor Smirnov: "Moldova should keep its earlier agreements first"
	Alex Caraman: "There is no possible way we can be part of Moldova"
	Konstantin Zatulin: "There exists a group of countries ready to recognize PMR"
	Yevgeny Shevchuk: "Economic prosperity key to future recognition of Pridnestrovie"
	Vladimir Grigoriev: "Government has a duty to guarantee the rights and freedoms of citizens"
	Andrei Stratan: "There are no secret plans or other documents"
	Vladimir Putin: "Kosovo is not any different from Trans-Dniester"
	Efim Koval: "We might need to pass emergency legislation"
	Kai F. Brand-Jacobsen: "Consider the conflict an opportunity, not a threat"
	Vasiliy Kalko: "Moldova presents false information about us to Europe"
	Alena Arshinova: "We are prepared to make a sacrifice for sovereign statehood"
	Yevgeny Shevchuk: "We should be ready for the worst"
	Andrei Tarna: "As a Moldovan, I want Moldova to respect Transnistria's wish for independence"
	Yevgeny Shevchuk: "This situation doesn't help constructive dialogue and a search for solutions"
	Anna Volkova: "Our country is already recognized by its people"
	Vitaliy Ignatiev: "Status settlement needs unbiased, impartial mediation"
	Igor Smirnov: "We have a stronger case for statehood than Kosovo"
	Gene Cohen: "Don't play games with democracy and human rights"
	Vitalie Andriescu: "Settlement talks should be restarted with a fresh slate"
	Olga Gukalenko: "Pridnestrovie is a state where human rights are observed"
	Yevgeny Shevchuk: "Democracy means respecting the majority will of the people"
	Igor Smirnov: "People want to live free, and the will of the people is a clear order"
	Roman Konoplev: "Let us work out forms of civilized relations"
	Bishop Justinian: "We have to recognize the people’s self-expression and will"
	Grigore Mărăcuţă: "I'm a Moldovan, and proud that my people voted for freedom"
	Valeri Litskai: "Rejection of a democratic referendum smacks of hypocrisy"
	Igor Smirnov: "What matters first of all is the opinion of the people who live here"
	Yevgeny Shevchuk: "We will work for more and more democratization"
	Megan Stephenson: "Western NGOs can make headway when governments can't"
	Sergey Lavrov: "Tiraspol has invited international organizations to monitor the elections"

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