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Viktor Alksnis, 57, is known as the "Black Colonel" for his political views. Now he urges Russian recognition of PMR statehood

MOSCOW (Tiraspol Times) - A Russian MP known as "the Black Colonel" says that his country will recognize the independent statehood of Transdniestria (officially Pridnestrovie, as per its constitution).

And Russia will not be alone, adds Viktor Alksnis, a member of the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament. A list of ten other countries will also join in the initial wave of diplomatic recognition and extend formal ties with the government of Transdniestria. They include Venezuela, Cuba and Belarus, he says. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment on the statement.

Speaking at a NATO-held Rose-Roth seminar in Belgrade, Serbia, Russian State Duma member Viktor Alksnis said that when Russia will recognize Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transdniestria, it will be joined by a group of around ten other countries, including Belarus, Cuba and Venezuela.

There has been no such confirmation from the Foreign Ministries of any of the named countries, and Viktor Alksnis did explain in detail what he bases his assumption on.

But according to the former Soviet Air Force colonel, who is now a member of the State Duma Committee for the Commonwealth of Independent States’ affairs and for links with compatriots, diplomatic recognition of the unrecognized countries is necessary because "Russia must strengthen its position in the sphere of standing for its economical interests and the rights of compatriots," Regions.Ru reported on Monday.

" - In accordance with the Constitution, Russia must protect the rights of its citizens who live in the territory of any of the former Soviet republics," the deputy declared.

" - Hundreds thousands of Russian citizens live in certain unrecognized states. For this reason it is necessary to recognize Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Pridnestrovie," he said, referring to Transdniestria by its official name.

Controversial colonel

Originally strongly opposed to the independence of the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Viktor Alksnis, 57, has now apparently changed his mind on the issue of self-determination and today says he that wants three new states to take their place as independent and sovereign nations within the international community.

The retired colonel, who is Russian but was born in Latvia, now wants internationally recognized independence for Transdniestria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Nicknamed "the Black Colonel", he is known for his conservative political views and nationalist admiration for the now-defunct Soviet Union. In the late 1990s, before large-scale market reforms and privatizations in Transdniestria, he stated his belief at the time that Transdniestria would be the place where the Soviet Union would be reborn. Public manifestations of his political views have made the controversial MP persona non grata in both Latvia and Ukraine.

His grandfather was killed by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, and his grandmother spent 14 years in labor camps. Under Soviet times, his father suffered discrimination for being the son of an "enemy of the people". Even so, Viktor Alksnis was a strong opponent of the breakdown of the Soviet Union, and as a deputy to the USSR Supreme Soviet in 1990 he founded a group called "Soyuz" (Union) which tried to preserve a single unity state and prevent the independence of the USSR's separate components.

Club of ten countries

With his public statement that Russia will recognize Transdniestria alongside Venezuela, Cuba, Belarus and a group of other countries, Viktor Alksnis adds his voice to several other Duma politicians who also see this as the best possible outcome to the now 17 year old territorial conflict on the Dniester river.

In late July, Russian MP Konstantin Zatulin said the same thing in an interview published by The Tiraspol Times. The influential Duma Deputy and foreign policy specialist said that a group of almost a dozen countries was being created that could recognize Transdniestria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia en masse and withstand the predictable Western criticism that such a move would initially bring about.

" - It is necessary in the process of international negotiations to gather a unique "club" of countries that could recognize them," said Konstantin Zatulin, adding that "such countries already exist."

At the time, Zatulin specifically named both Belarus and Venezuela, but declined to provide details of the other eight countries on the list. With the later statements by fellow MP Viktor Alksnis, it is now revealed that Cuba is another one of the ten countries.

As a partially recognized state, Transdniestria will be included with Palestine, Taiwan, Western Sahara and Israel in a small group of countries that are diplomatically recognized by some of the countries in the world, but not by all.

A potentially future independent Kosovo is also expected to fall into this category of partial recognition, in the event of a unilateral independence declaration which will initially be received with mixed reactions. A number of countries have already declared their willingness to recognize a self-declared Albanian Kosovar state, while others have specifically said that they won't. The majority of the approximately 200 countries in the world are staying on the sidelines for the time being, without having yet determined their position on the issue.

Meeting with Moldova hardliners

During his participation at NATO's Rose-Roth seminar in Belgrade, Russian nationalist MP Viktor Alksnis met with nationalist hardliners from Moldova, including the "orange" politician Iurie Roşca from the Christian Democratic party.

Roşca, whose party is said to favor the re-integration of Romania and Moldova, knows that such a union is unlikely to happen unless Transdniestria first gets independence. Unlike right-bank Moldova, Transdniestria has never been part of Romania at any time in history and has never had a Romanian-speaking majority.

The 67th Rose-Roth seminar was organized by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in cooperation with Serbia's parliament. It took place in Belgrade from 25 to 27 October.

The main topic of this three-day seminar was "Challenges which integrations pose." About 140 representatives of 20 member countries and associate members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, as well as representatives of a large number of ministries, international organisations and institutions, embassies, institutes, and non-government institutions took part in the seminar.

The Rose-Roth program of cooperation with the parliaments of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) was initiated in 1990 by then President of the Assembly Congressman Charlie Rose and Senator Bill Roth. The original aim of the Rose-Roth Initiative was to strengthen the development of parliamentary democracy in CEE countries. The program also addresses regional security issues, currently with particular emphasis on the Balkans and South Caucasus.
The initiative is underwritten by NATO PA and local parliaments.

See also:
» Konstantin Zatulin: "There exists a group of countries ready to recognize PMR" [1]
» Russia will formally recognize Transdniester's independence, say MPs [2]
» When will Russia apply "The Reverse Holbrooke?" [3]

Opinion and commentary:
» In praise of 'Virtual States' [4]