Presidents of Moldova, Transdniestria meet for talks in Transdniestria

Seated in Transdniester's second largest city, Bender, the two Presidents met face to face for the first direct talks in 7 years

BENDER (Tiraspol Times) - Starting at noon this Friday, 11 April, the Presidents of Moldova and Transdniestria (Pridnestrovie) held their first face to face encounter for the first time in seven years. Moldova's Vladimir Voronin and Transdniestria's Igor Smirnov met in Bender, Transdniestria's second largest city, in the main conference room of Bender's pro-independence mayor.

The two political leaders discussed ways of settling the years-long conflict, said the foreign minister of the unrecognized republic, Valeri Litskai. He had organized the talks with his Moldovan counterpart Vasile Shova. According to news agency Itar-Tass, the Moldovan government confirmed this.

The meeting lasted 90 minutes. After the meeting, Voronin issued no immediate statement, but a press release from the Presidential Press Service of Transdniestria's Igor Smirnov noted that both presidents expressed cautious optimism about the future of the negotiating process.

Transdniestria wants to sign a friendship and cooperation treaty with Moldova, which was formally end the war between the two which started in 1992 when Moldovan troops attempted to take control of Transdniestrian territory. The situation currently has the status of a "frozen conflict" with a ceasefire which has held since 1992. Lifting the ceasefire through the signing a friendship treaty, as Transdniestria seeks, will put a formal end to the hostilities.

Residents will only accept independence

Bender, the city where the two presidents had their meeting, is known as Bendery in Russian and Tighina in Romanian. The venue was chosen after Transdniestria's President Igor Smirnov discarded having the first meeting on Moldovan soil, for fear of a repeat of a 1991-kidnapping in which he ended up being hostage in solitary confinement in a Moldovan prison.

Vladimir Voronin sat with a clear view of two large flags of Transdniestria and Bender, which are permanent fixtures in the mayor's office of the Transdniestrian-controlled city. Bender was the scene of strong Moldovan attacks in 1992 which led to the loss of more than 1,000 lives. The majority of its residents are ethnic Slavs who prefer independence and reject any talk of coming under Moldovan rule.

Residents of Transdniestria voted in a 2006 referendum to uphold independence and seek closer ties with Russia, rejecting a joint state with Moldova with which there are few historical, ethnic or linguistic ties. The official name of Transdniestria is Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica (PMR), according to the Constitution which residents voted on in a 1995 referendum. The country is 'de facto' independent but has not yet obtained international recognition. It is also known informally under names such as Transnistria and Trans-Dniester.

See also:
» Smirnov rules out meeting Voronin on Moldovan soil
» Transdniestria wants friendship and cooperation treaty with Moldova