Igor Smirnov: "There can be no common state with Moldova ... our people made that very clear"

President Igor Smirnov says the will of the voters has to be respected, so there can be no common state with Moldova

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times / Kommersant) - Replying to an interview given by Moldova's President Vladimir Voronin, the President of Pridnestrovie (Transdniestria) says that there can be no common state but that negotiations between the two sides should be about normalizing their relations. Igor Smirnov also accuses Voronin of wishful thinking and of being in "pre-election mode" for next year's Presidential campaign in Moldova.

Speaking during a visit by Igor Smirnov to Moscow, this interview with Kommersant reveals his confrontational style towards Moldova's Vladimir Voronin. As a former Soviet General, Vladimir Voronin is today the highest ranking Communist Party official of the Republic of Moldova and the head of one of the country's richest families.

When he was first elected to public office, Igor Smirnov ran against the main candidate of Tiraspol's Communist Party and won the city's first free election two-to-one. A year later, in 1991, Igor Smirnov was kidnapped by Moldova's Secret Service and kept under arrest in Chisinau for the crime of promoting independence. As a child, his father was jailed under Stalin for anti-Soviet activities.

In his latest interview, Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin expressed confidence in a speedy settlement of what he calls the Transnistria problem. Are you ready to solve it with him?

" - Who do you tell me should decide this? Who must normalize their relations? My answer: The people of Moldova and Pridnestrovie, that's who."

" - On the airplane, when I was flying here, I read that interview with Voronin. And I laughed so hard that the stewardess came up to me and commented on it."

What was it that made you laugh?

" - His statements, of course. They have one purpose: To drive a wedge between Pridnestrovie and Russia. But we have more than 100,000 people with Russian passports. And we even have a Russian-style education system, unlike the Romanian system that Moldova uses. During all these years, an entire generation grew up which only knows what it is like to live in the Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica (PMR). And over there - a generation which only knows Moldova."

" - Moldova is trying to sit on two chairs at the same time. First, they go towards NATO, the European Union and GUAM [a U.S.-created military alliance established to counter Russian influence on its borders, ed.]. And then when offered another seat, they go towards Russia."

But Russia officially recognizes the integrity of the Republic of Moldova.

" - We also recognize Moldova's existence, but we have our own State as well. The problem is that they want to rule over us."

In February, Russian Prime Viktor Zubkov reiterated that Russia was in favor of a solution to the Pridnestrovie-issue based on the territorial integrity of Moldova. In your opinion, what did he have in mind?

" - You have to ask Zubkov what he meant. However, it is true that Russia's current position is based on the recognition of Moldova's territory. But the negotiations between us and Chisinau must take place without the threat of pressure or use of force by either side. So far, Mr Voronin hasn't complied with a single one of the documents that he has signed with us within the framework of the negotiation process. And in general, he managed to show everyone that he can't be counted on, when in the fall of 2003 he didn't sign the Kozak Memorandum. Six months of work, down the drain."

At that time, you were ready to re-unite with Moldova...

" - Who said that? No! We were only ready to build a common state, in the form of a confederation. Pridnestrovie was given a veto right. Unfortunately, since the early 1990s when nationalists wanted to control us and rule over us, nothing has changing. I hate all kinds of nationalism. Moldovan, Romanian, what have you. And including Russian."

By the way, Vladimir Putin recently said that he is a Russian nationalist.

" - He said that he was committed to the Russian way of life, and the historical merits of Russians in the development of Russia's own statehood. But not the kind of national-fascism that we saw in the 1990s. That is another matter."

" - In Pridnestrovie, there's simply no hope in Voronin. In 2006, we asked a clear question at a referendum: Should we join Moldova, or should we live on our own? 97% of the voters said: We want to live independently. Then, we asked in what direction our policy should be oriented: Towards NATO and the European Union, or towards Russia? 97% said: Build closer ties to Russia. That's everyone. For us, this is law, and we are done with playing games."

So it is out of the question for Pridnestrovie to unite with Moldova?

" - There can be no common state with Moldova, and our people have made that very clear. But you should take a look and see where the true Moldovan nation has been preserved."

In Pridnestrovie?

" - Yes. The Cyrillic alphabet, Orthodox Christianity, ties to Russia. All of that has been kept alive in Pridnestrovie. And 33% of our population consists of ethnic Moldovans. We have three official languages. There are Russian, Moldovan and Ukrainian schools in Pridnestrovie."

So, the imminent resumption of negotiations in the 5+2 format (Russia, Ukraine, OSCE, Moldova, PMR, the United States and EU), as Voronin talked about, wouldn't be possible?

" - Well, it is a consultative format. That is not the same as a negotiating process. To start with, the United States and the European Union are not guarantor states but merely observers to the process. But Russia is a guarantor state. It guarantees the equal rights of each side. But where in any of the proposals from Voronin does he refer to the equal rights of Pridnestrovie? Instead, he has already made up his mind and decided everything on behalf of the people of Pridnestrovie. It is that kind of approach which makes the issue hard to solve."

Then with whom do you intend to negotiate, and what do you plan to negotiate about?

" - We will only discuss the normalization of relations between Moldova and the PMR. This position hasn't been expressed by me, but by the voters of Pridnestrovie. But Chisinau is interested in our property and industries, not in the fate of the Pridnestrovian people."

In that case, what are your plans? You have already existed 18 years as an unrecognized state. Do you think you can obtain recognition?

" - Why do you call us unrecognized? We are actually already recognized in many ways. We currently have commercial relations with 78 countries around the world, who buy our products [an additional 21 countries also sell products to PMR, ed.]."

" - The USSR broke up, and we are now in the final stage of its dissolution. At an international level, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are currently not recognized diplomatically. But we have a solid case for recognition. We would have already been recognized by now if certain states would muster the necessary courage."

Who, specifically, do you refer to?

" - Well, Russia of course. Because it is the successor state to the Soviet Union. And we have never formally declared our independence from the Soviet Union. Legally speaking, Pridnestrovie remained in the Soviet Union. And our people said two years ago: We'll form closer bonds with Russia."

But that didn't get you anywhere.

" - What do you mean by that? The mentality of a state determines its value. We have preserved a clear set of values. The education system is built exactly on the Russian model. Our national project shows us where we are going. This is the same plan that Medvedev has for Russia. So our spirit is Russian. Where else do you we have to go to "get anywhere"? But moreover, we have self reliance, we have built our own state, we teach our children, we develop and we produce. In none of these areas do we lack behind internationally-recognized countries like Moldova and Ukraine."

You nevertheless still intend to become recognized internationally?

" - It is up to the Foreign Ministries to grant recognition. But even without them, we're already recognized in other areas. Russia must now take a stand. The world is not concerned about Pridnestrovie, but about larger issues. Now I will read Russia's position to you:

"The Russian side informed about the outcome of consultations with Chisinau and Kiev. The essence of Russia's course is to ensure that Moldova and Pridnestrovie engage with each other in direct talks. Russia emphasized that it did not discuss any documents with Chisinau, although Moldova attempted do draw Russia into discussions of specific projects."

Here's the answer to all of your questions, including the answer to when the negotiating process will be restarted."

What was it that you were reading to me now?

" - It is an analytical report on the status settlement between Moldova and Pridnestrovie. The answer to your question is in this report. And they sat over there, in Chisinau, and passed a law on the special status of Pridnestrovie. This is Pharisaical ... or, Dmitry Kozak once said, it is the division of good and evil."

" - With regards to the suggestion by Moldova to somehow additionally guarantee its neutrality, it is considered by us and by Moscow as a diversionary tactic, and not significant in the big picture. Voronin is now in his pre-election mode, and he issues statements which amount to wishful thinking. It means nothing to him. We know how his kind of democracy works. In our case, we just spend what we have to in order to make sure that we can defend ourselves."

Do you think that Russia should recognize Pridnestrovie, the same way that the United States recognized Kosovo?

" - Yes, Russia should recognize us and work with us. The hearings in the State Duma gives a hint of how this could come about. Everyone thought that Russia had its hands tied, but now it is finding its strength."

What did you expect from the Duma hearings?

" - I didn't come for the hearings. But I can't divulge our strategy. First, let us do what we came here to do, and then I'll tell you."

But you did indeed come here to raise the issue of the recognition of Pridnestrovie?

" - No. We're here to define the next steps for the work that will be done within the framework of the Community for Democracy and Rights of Peoples [an international organization composed of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Pridnestrovie, ed.]."

Will you have to wait another 18 years for the conflict to be resolved?

" - We can't resolve it by ourselves, but those countries that have energy and military resources can certainly play a role. Like Russia."

That country has said that it recognizes a united Moldova.

" - Yes, as a signal which Russia is sending to Voronin, to tell him that the time has come for him to take notice of Pridnestrovie's opinion and find common ground."

That's a unique interpretation.

" - Well, what relevance does Voronin have to us? None. But now he tells us: Go there, or do that... The best thing that Georgia and Moldova can do for themselves would be to just recognize us. That is why we flew to Moscow: To confirm our positions. Russia has now removed the embargo on Abkhazia, and now we can begin to trade with Sukhumi [the Abkhazian capital, ed.] on all fronts. So don't let them prevent us from living our lives."

" - I sometimes ask myself: Would it be better or worse if, back then, all of us had signed the 2003 Kozak memorandum?"

And what's your conclusion?

" - That we would be worse off..." (With information from Kommersant)

See also:
» Vladimir Voronin: "I can no longer hide my optimism"
» Igor Smirnov: "Moldova should keep its earlier agreements first"
» Igor Smirnov: "Let's work together with Moldova to solve common problems"