For Transnistria, US Ambassador wants solution that both sides agree on

Michael D. Kirby, US Ambassador to Moldova, wants Pridnestrovie's population in agreement with any status outcome (file photo)

CHISINAU (Tiraspol Times) - Michael D. Kirby, America's Ambassador to Moldova, wants status talks between Pridnestrovie and Moldova to restart with the aim of seeking a comprehensive status settlement solution that will be accepted by the populations living on both banks of the Dniester river.

In statements to the press this week, Ambassador Kirby emphasized that "any resolution of the Transdniester question must be supported by the population living on both sides of the Dniester."

His views were welcomed in Pridnestrovie where the population of 555,000 fears that the United States would push for a solution which serves Moldova but does not take the views of the locals into account. The strongly-independent minded population is majority Slav and fought a war in 1992 to defend their 1990 declaration of independence.

" - The only thing I don't understand," said Rybnitsa resident Alexandru Voda, "is why someone in Moldova should have as much right as us to decide. After all, it is our future. Not theirs. They live over there, in their own country, and we live here. Their opinion is valid, too, but they are not directly affected so it can never have the same importance as our opinion here."

In Kosovo’s case, the United States has a different position, advocating that there should indeed be differences in priorities between the people who live in the affected territories as compared to the desires of a metropolitan state which has long ago lost any real control over its territorial claim.

Citing democracy and self-determination over territorial integrity, the will of the people in the affected territory should be given more weight, argue US State Department officials.

Smirnov: "What matters first of all is the will of the people who live here."
The US agrees with him, but only with regards to Kosovo.

Russia has stated that any settlement terms should be accepted by both parties to the conflict (not imposed on one of them) and approved by decision of the U.N. Security Council.
But on this point, the United States disagrees.

" - What matters first of all is the opinion of the people who live there," says a senior US diplomat with reference to Kosovo. Inadvertently, this declaration echoed word by word a similar statement by Pridnestrovie's President Igor Smirnov in September of 2006

According to the United States, the wishes of the metropolitan state - which in the case of Kosovo is Serbia - carries a lot less weight than the opinion of the people who actually live in the disputed territory and whose lives are directly affected by the outcome of the status settlement solution.

Moldova President sees unification "soon"...

Unsurprisingly, Moldova sees things differently, believing that what matters most is the will of Moldova over Transnistria and not the will of the people who live there.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin said that he thought unification between Moldova and Transnistria - as he calls it - will soon become a reality.

" - Although unification has not yet happened, many problems have been clarified over these years. This will surely lead to the settlement of the conflict," Voronin said.

" - The Transnistrian conflict is a conflict of interests. The fact that we know who personally is involved in this will enable us ultimately to settle it," Voronin believes. As reported by Itar-Tass, he stated this to reporters on Wednesday on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of his presidency.

He claimed that "we have seen the inner workings of the regime existing in the given region and have understood the reason for which so much happened. This makes us believe that the settlement of the conflict is not far off."

Specialists with knowledge of the situation did not agree with the Moldovan president's latest take on the situation.

" - Quite frankly, Voronin must have been celebrating his six year anniversary with an illegal substance," says commentator Michael Garner. "Ask him to please forward some of the crack he was smoking when he thought up these latest pearls of wisdom."

...but commentator urges realism

" - It is deceptive to claim that this conflict is driven by the leaders of Transdniestria or by economic interests. Look at the history of the border. Look at the demographics on both sides of the Dniester. The two different languages, the distinct cultures. And the fact that more than half a million people suffered far too much for 17 long years while holding out for their independence," said Garner.

" - You have a majority Slav population in an area which has never historically been part of Moldova. It is not surprising that they are opposed to joining a country populated in its majority by ethnic Romanians, with a different language, different alphabet and a whole different cultural and sociological outlook."

Tiraspol Times asked Michael Garner what would happen if tomorrow the president and his cabinet would resign, and the existing peacekeeping contingent would disband themselves.

" - The desire to live in peace, freedom and independence will not go away. The peacekeepers didn't invent that, and neither did the local government. The current government is merely the logical expression of a deeply held desire. Before independence, 200,000 workers participated in the strikes that created the independence movement. Today, this is a strong desire shared by more than nine out of every ten voters. Take away their protection from renewed attacks, and take away their elected political leaders, and the desire will still be there. Voronin wants to wish it away. A smarter politician would be more realistic."

See also:
» Igor Smirnov: "What matters first of all is the opinion of the people who live here"
» Why not a referendum to decide the issue?