Russia will formally recognize Transdniester's independence, say MPs

Russian MP Konstantin Zatulin says it is only a matter of time before PMR obtains recognition (file photo)

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - The formal independence of Transdniester and other unrecognized countries on the territory of the former Soviet Union will be recognized by Russia, and the "Kosovo precedent" can accelerate this event reports news agency New Region from interviews with three leading Russian politicians and political analysts during a conference in Yalta.

" - The fate of Kosovo is being debated by the UN Security Council. If the current plan is imposed without the agreement of Serbia, Russia will veto it. And so, I think, will China," believes Russian MP and foreign policy specialist Konstantin Zatulin, director of the Institute of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

" - Should this happen, Kosovo's independence can only be recognized unilaterally by individual states. In that situation Russia will certainly also recognize similar situations in Pridnestrovie, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and possibly also in Nagorno Karabakh. We have to pause and analyze if this will affect positively or negatively those of our citizens who live in these affected areas," said Zatulin.

" - A similar choice will be faced by Ukraine because Ukraine has many citizens, ethnic Ukrainians and Ukrainian passport holders, who live in Pridnestrovie. It borders on Ukraine. And to me it will be very interesting to find out if Kiev will take an interest in the fate of its compatriots and understand that this is a good opportunity for them to improve their lives. Or will Kiev prefer alignment with some of the western countries and disregard the wellbeing of its own compatriots?"

Baburin: Only a matter of time

Sergei Baburin, the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, Russia's lower house of Parliament, agreed that it is only a matter of time before Pridnestrovie obtains international recognition of its statehood by Russia and a number of other countries.

" - The independence of Abkhazia, Transnistria and South Ossetia will be acknowledged by Moscow in any case," announced Duma VP Sergei Baburin.

" - I always try to tell the Russian President that it's necessary to formalize diplomatic relationship with Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Pridnestrovie. This question is not connected with Kosovo because this is a completely different situation, legally speaking," said Baburin, while stating that regardless of whether independence of Kosovo will be acknowledged or not, a "chain reaction" of independence will in any case develop.

Baburin thinks that the Kosovo status plan developed by UN envoy Marti Ahtisaari is failed and that this will lead to a process of unilateral acknowledgment or recognition of self-proclaimed governments.

" - Let me also emphasize that membership of the United Nations is not the same as recognition of independence. A country can exist as a state without being a member of this organization," Baburin said.

Markov: Pridnestrovie will not be betrayed

" - I will put it briefly: There can be the different political solutions to status settlement, but one is clear - Russia not will betray Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Pridnestrovie," said Sergei Markov, a top Russian analyst. "The string of treacheries of its allies, which was observed in the 1990's, is over now. I can assure everyone of that."

Markov, the director of the Political Studies Institute, is a foreign policy specialist and member of the Russian Public Chamber.

Even so, not everyone in Pridnestrovie believed the statements of the Russian politicians.

" - Politicians everywhere in the world have a bad habit of lying," said Yuri Tsibenko, 32, "Talk is cheap. We want to see action."

" - Enough already," said another resident who wanted to be identified as Neelitarnyy Pridnestrovets. "Where is the financial aid? Where are the Russian pensions? Where are the national Russian-funded projects for the ethnic Russians in Pridnestrovie? Why is it so difficult to obtain a Russian passport? Pridnestrovie only matters to Russia as a military base. We are tired of being pawns in this strange geopolitical game. Why are we being used to defend the national interests of Russia, and Russia just spits on us?"

See also:
» MP: A country is not "unrecognized" if someone recognizes it
» After freedom and reform, Pridnestrovie says it is no longer Communist