For Transdnister, status settlement talks with Moldova will be about independence

Transdnister President Igor Smirnov, rights, says that future status settlement talks with Moldova will be about independence

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Status settlement talks with Moldova will be about independence says Igor Smirnov, president of Pridnestrovie. Also known as Transdniester, the unrecognized country is officially named the Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica (PMR) according to its consitution.

" - Tiraspol is ready to restart status settlement negotiations within the framework of the fivesided format 5+2," said Igor Smirnov on Friday during a press conference held for 45 local and foreign journalists who are in the country to cover the 17th anniversary celebrations since Pridnestrovie declared independence. The 5+2 format includes Moldova, Pridnestrovie, Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE as well as observers from the United States and the European Union.

" - But we have to be provided with guarantees that Chisinau will not resort to pressure tactics," said the President. At the same time, he had little hope that negotiations would lead to a quick outcome, noting that Moldova had already shown its unwillingness to keep its earlier promises and abide by agreements it had signed with Pridnestrovie in the past.

Among the unkept Moldovan promises is a past 1997 agreement under which Pridnestrovie has the right to freely conduct its own foreign trade without Moldovan interference. Moldova respected this agreement from 1997 to 2009, but after nine years decided to curtail it as a way to impose pressure and tilt status negotiations in its own favor. The tactic backfired and only helped to radicalize the positions of the two antagonists.

Igor Smirnov emphasized that Pridnestrovie during its future negotiations intend to obtain independence. "This is the wish of more than ninety percent of the voters who participated in the referendum that took place last year. And we have better grounds for independence, than, for example, Kosovo ", he said.

Viable as a self-supporting state

Politicians and civil society leaders in Pridnestrovie say that the small republic is continually proving its viability as a separate sovereign state. The harder the tests, the more the locals stand together - shoulder by shoulder - to ensure the survival of their small nation. In this context, president Igor Smirnov says that Pridnestrovie can only rely on itself to overcome its social and economic problems

" - There is no other way than independence, so we must independently solve all of our problems alone. We are of course grateful to friends who want to help, but we must plan on only relying on ourselves," said the leader who was re-elected to the presidency in a landslide in December 2006.

He noted that Pridnestrovie in 2007 had to find a way around a budget decifit after Russia cut the aid which had been provided until the end of 2006. Starting January 2007, Pridnestrovie has no longer received any financial aid from Russia. The 'de facto' country finances itself through exports and tax revenues on local businesses.

See also:
» Voronin "not against" resuming 5+2 talks over Pridnestrovie, Ukraine ambassador says
» Independence is the only way for Transnistria, its President says
» Moldovan-born politician on conflict settlement: "Separating the two sides is best solution"