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European aid workers welcomed as heroes
Arriving in the Transdniester capital, aid workers from Ireland got a heroes' welcome. With them, they brought a truck with half a million Euros worth of lifesaving medical equipment. The unrecognized country recognized their help by awarding them the medals of heroes.
David Kennish, a humanitarian aid worker from Ireland, was one of the recipients of a medalTIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Medals were handed out in Tiraspol today to aid workers arriving with medical equipment from Ireland. The humanitarian load of supplies has an estimated value of €500,000. The supplies were donated from Irish hospitals from North and South of the Island and are been sent through medical charity East European Aid with assistance from other Irish charities and humanitarian aid organizations.
The drivers of the aid supplies, David Kennish and Patrick Wayne, were honored in a formal ceremony in Tiraspol today and awarded the "OSTK 15 years" order.
Grigore Bryaz, acting division chief of international relations for the PMR presidency, called the Irishmen heroes and saw similarities in Pridnestrovie's own struggle for independence.
" - The experience of the fight for independence is in the blood of our Irish friends, for more time than in Pridnestrovie. Ireland for 300 years stood up for its sovereignty and restoration of its historical territory."
Pridnestrovie, or Transnistria as it is also sometimes called, declared independence in 1990 in the general breakup of the Soviet Union. Although it meets all the requirements for statehood under international law, and functions as a de facto independent country, it has never been generally recognized as a member of the world community of nations. This has led to hardship for its inhabitants and has severaly limited its access to international aid and cooperation.
The West supplies no aid at an official level. Thanks to private groups and organizations, medical equipment and other aid supplies are getting through and, says Bryaz, has already saved many lives in the unrecognized republic's hospitals.
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. . . 
