	DEMILITARIZATION IS NEEDED to repair the strained relations between Moldova and Pridnestrovie. A look back at history shows how lasting peace can become a reality. [more]					TOGETHER FOREVER? Transdniestria agreed to a 2003 plan for becoming part of a common state with Moldova. But Moldova surprisingly turned it down, for reasons that were never fully explained. [more]

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Tiraspol Times photo archive

Archive of previously published photos from The Tiraspol Times & Weekly Review.

	Banned: Tiraspol Times now faces prosecution if it publishes articles in favor of independent statehood for Transdniestria
	A privately owned store in Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie: Starting a commercial business just became easier
	Putting Moldova on the human trafficking blacklist, the U.S. says Moldovan government officials help this modern slave trade
	MEP Adrian Severin, a former Romanian foreign minister, thinks Moldova should decouple itself from Transdniestria
	Tiraspol's favorite son: The paintings of local-born Mikhail Larionov, shown, now sell for up to 2,200,000 British pounds
	Razak Omotoyossi was discovered by FC Sheriff Tiraspol who brought him to Europe and groomed him for the big time
	"A free press cannot exist in conditions of corruption, fear and poverty," declare Moldova's journalists. (File photo)
	16 years ago, in June of 1992, this Moldovan BTR90 formed part of an invasion that crossed the Dniester and attacked Dubossary
	Censorship crackdown: Time is running out for independent news media in Moldova ahead of next year's elections. (File photo)
	As U.S.-backed Kosovo declared independence on 17 Feb 2008, locals celebrated in the streets with American and Albanian flags
	Moldova's Head of State Vladimir Voronin, left, poses for the cameras with EU's Benita Ferrero-Waldner. (Photo: Moldpres)
	Hardest hit: A pensioner cries at a recent protest rally in Tiraspol against high prices. (Photo: Ekaterina Semenyuk)
	Some 4,000 church members and civil society activists came together for the Slavic Unity march in the streets of Tiraspol
	Female bodybuilders from Moldova took Gold and Bronze in Tiraspol, while Silver went to local champion Victoria Valikova
	1990: Shortly after coming out of the hospital, Igor Smirnov announced there was no point in returning to Moldova's Parliament
	Pridnestrovie is a de-facto state with its own infrastructure and fully functioning government institutions
	Dr. Paul Williams: "At least 26 countries declared independence without any agreement with the country they lived under"
	Communist and Social Democrats came together in Tiraspol to demand the head of PMR President Igor Smirnov and early elections
	A small paper flag of Abkhazia pinned to a map hanging on the office wall of the country's Deputy Foreign Ministe, in Sukhumi
	Trapped inside a bus surrounded by a homophobic mob, participants in a peaceful march on Sunday were forced to cancel the event
	Transdniestria's Parliamentary Speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk, 39, met with his Moldovan counterpart at the EU in Brussels, Belgium
	Proselytization by Jehovah's Witnesses freely takes place all over Transdniestria, but registration has not been as easy
	A bus carrying 60 participants for a minority march is surrounded by an angry mob in Chisinau, Moldova, while police looks on
	On 15 May the European Parliament in Brussels focuses on democracy and good governance issues facing 5 'de facto' states
	Baptists in Transdniestria say that local authorities give preference to Orthodox churches, like the one shown here
	Abkhazia's president Sergei Bagapsh expects international recognition of his country's de-facto independence sooner or later
	Visitors to the Tiraspol Zoo can get up close and personal with exotic animals
	A newborn in a Pridnestrovie hospital. For every 100 live births there are now 108 abortions in the country
	PMR President Igor Smirnov listens as Communications Minister Vladimir Belyayev explains Moldova's new jamming strategy
	Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie, is one of the cities claimed by Moldova. It was founded in 1792 as a part of Russia
	Counterfeit cigarettes are produced in Moldova by politically connected figures, a new report says. (File photo: European Union)
	A meeting with HM Ambassador John Beyer took place in the Parliament building (shown) in Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie
	A Moldovan tank in Bender, Transdniestria's 2nd largest city, in 1992. Moldova's Voronin now says Romania was behind the war
	Vladimir Voronin with what looks like a Romanian flag. It is actually Moldovan. Moldova used to be part of Romania in the past
	The luckier victims are left with just a scar but many others die from the illegal organ harvesting in Moldova
	Activists from "Moldova Noastra", the country's largest opposition party, say their leader is being politically prosecuted
	Extreme poverty is common in Moldova (shown), where experts say the situation could easily get worse
	A four-nil win over Tiligul brought FC Sheriff to the UEFA Champions League with Alexey Kuchuk (shown) scoring two of the goals
	Nabbed: Pridnestrovie's police arrested fugitive Mihail Mocanu, 41, and handed him over to their Moldovan counterparts
	Moldovans are forced to hand over bribes 80.7 % of the times they want visas and in 57.2 % of all customs related matters
	Located in northern Africa, Somaliland has been 'de facto' independent since 1991 ... almost as long as Europe's Transdniestria
	In its latest issue, BusinessWeek criticizes Moldova for corruption, lack of freedom and economic mis-management
	In a written report, human rights group Amnesty International confirms that "government torture is normal in Moldova"
	Underage girls from Moldova are sold by government connected gangs and smuggled to Britain as forced sex slaves, authorities say
	The U.S. ITC investigation cracks down on counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes sold illegally on the Internet from Chisinau, Moldova
	Pridnestrovie's Foreign Minister Valeri Litskai explains why his country has better legal grounds for independence than Kosovo
	Moldova faces empty shelves and lack of food as the only European country listed as critical in a new UN study on food shortages
	Moldova is a country of stark contrasts: In this photo, a typical Moldovan village is shown from inside a Mercedes Benz
	For close to 18 years, Tiraspol has been the capital of the de-facto independent republic of Transdniestria (Pridnestrovie)
	Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh (left) with South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity
	Parliament building of the de-facto independent republic of Pridnestrovie (informally: Transdniester) in the capital Tiraspol
	Igor Smirnov, left, sat down for direct talks with his Moldovan counterpart Vladimir Voronin for 90 minutes in Bender on Friday
	Transdniestria's government has prepared a draft for a Friendship and Co-operation Treaty with its larger neighbor, Moldova
	The OSCE's office in Tiraspol, the capital of unrecognized Transdniestria, mediates in one of Europe's oldest "frozen conflicts"
	Flying side by side over Tiraspol's main stadium, the flags of Transdniestria (Pridnestrovie) and the United States of America
	Can they find common ground? Moldova's Voronin (left) and Transdniestria's Smirnov, after their April 11 meeting in Bender
	Dr. Henry Kissinger (shown here in a file photo) says negotiations will only succeed if they reflect the objective reality
	Divided by the Dniester, Pridnestrovie now seeks to rebuild bridges with Moldova by signing a friendship and co-operation treaty
	Seated in Transdniester's second largest city, Bender, the two Presidents met face to face for the first direct talks in 7 years
	President Igor Smirnov was a political prisoner in Moldova in 1991 and won't return to Moldovan soil for fear of hostage taking
	Romania's flag is nearly identical to Moldova's. The two states used to be united in a single country in the past, without PMR
	Pro-Romanian protest groups are not allowed to demonstrate in front of Moldova's Interior Ministry (shown)
	Despite public protests like the one shown above, the Roma remain the most persecuted minority in Europe today
	In Pridnestrovie, a new law will protect the privacy of the internet and all other forms of electronic communication
	On the own for nearly 18 years now, 97 percent of the population currently supports independent statehood for Pridnestrovie
	In Transdniestria, local born youth hold flags declaring the independence of three unrecognized countries
	Moldova, a failed state, is officially Europe's poorest nation and also the world's most remittance-dependent country
	Entering Abkhazia: The republic, like Transdniestria, is already a 'de facto' independent country. (File photo)
	Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko wants his country to be part of NATO but the voters are against the idea, polls show
	Midfielder Fred Nelson De Oliveira is the fifth Brazilian soccer star to play on contract for Tiraspol, Pridnestrovie's capital
	Climbing up the ranks, FC Sheriff Tiraspol is now #137 on the list of the world's best football clubs
	Defending himself against charges of incompetence and corruption, PMR's Foreign Minister Valeri Litskai looks beat
	Romania President Traian Basescu supports even closer ties between Moldova and U.S.-led NATO. (Courtesy: NATO photos)
	Moldova's strongman Vladimir Voronin has been a frequent visitor to NATO summits, both past and present. (Courtesy: NATO photos)
	Human beings are Moldova's leading export: Between 800,000 and 1.1 million Moldovans are now working abroad
	Moldova's Gheorge Papuc, Minister of Internal Affairs, is suspected of running the country's largest drug operation (File photo)
	Room to spare: The UN Security Council is a closed shop, but unrecognized countries are now seeking a seat at the table
	Anybody home? The PMR Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the capital city of Tiraspol
	One island, two states: Cyprus has effectively been divided as two different countries for 24+ years now, and is today at peace
	Ready for a roasting: Transdniestria's Foreign Minister Valeri Litskai is not the right man for the job, many here now say
	Map of the three unrecognized countries (in red) which are now one step closer to international recognition
	U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney sees independent sovereignty and two separate states as the best option for conflict resolution
	Influential Duma MP Konstantin Zatulin: "Recognize the obvious: The independence of the unrecognized states"
	Igor Smirnov, Pridnestrovie's democratically elected president, wants more diplomatic and commercial ties with more countries
	Igor Smirnov, Pridnestrovie's democratically elected president, wants closer diplomatic and commercial ties with more countries
	On his way to the woodshed: Valeri Litskai will have to answer questions for his failings as PMR's Foreign Minister
	President Igor Smirnov says the will of the voters has to be respected, so there can be no common state with Moldova
	For 2008, FC Sheriff plans to at least get to the UEFA Champions League's third qualifying round. (File photo)
	Despite putting up signs announcing the borders of Kosovo, the selfdeclared state lacks true sovereignty in many important areas
	Transnistria's Foreign Minister Valeri Litskai (shown) will be replaced by Vladislav Yastrebchyak, says an analyst
	Trans-Dniester has already been independent for nearly 18 years, says its president Igor Smirnov. (File photo)
	Russia's lower house of Parliament, the Duma, began hearings on closer ties with unrecognized countries in the ex-USSR
	Vladimir Voronin, the Communist President of Moldova, is thrilled with joy. (Photo: Official Moldovan government portrait)
	MP Alexei Ostrovsky, Chairman of the Russian Duma's Committee for CIS Affairs
	No smugglers in sight: European Union officials on Pridnestrovie's border confirm that no weapons smuggling takes place here
	All three main ethnic groups in Pridnestrovie participate equally in political and cultural life, foreign experts highlighted
	Alena Arshinova, the leader of Transdniestria's civil society youth group "Breakthrough," is in favor of full independence
	Tiraspol-based clothing factory 'Odema' (shown) is a privatized company which today is 100% American-owned
	Just-signed Luis Rodriguez, the newest player for FC Sheriff Tiraspol, comes from the club of C A Temperley in Argentina (shown)
	She says no: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants Kosovo to be free, but not South Ossetia: "It's not going to happen"
	An aerial view of the recently restored Romanian Cemetery in Bender, PMR's second largest city. Now its chapel has a cross
	Stuck in Moldova: The country finished last in Eastern Europe among e-government readiness
	Igor Smirnov believes his state has a better claim to formal diplomatic recognition than Kosovo under international law
	Friend of Transdniestria, too? Hillary Clinton cites "independence and democracy" as reasons why Kosovo should be free
	A policewoman in Tiraspol. After nearly 18 years on its own, Pridnestrovie says it has a better developed statehood than Kosovo
	FC Sheriff Tiraspol on its homecourt in Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie (also known as Transnistria)
	Residents of Tiraspol, the capital of Transdniestria (shown), are asking: 'Why Not Us?', after Kosovo was recognized by the U.S.
	Conflict expert Thomas de Waal, London: "Kosovo's independence will have a strong ripple effect"
	"If you recognize Kosovo, recognize PMR" reads a banner which civil society group Breakthrough unfurled before OSCE in Tiraspol
	Seeking recognition: Marchers display a large PMR flag during a recent celebration of the 'de facto' country's independence
	Youth in Tiraspol, the capital of 'de facto' independent Transdniestria, step up their demands for recognized statehood
	The Moldovan face of international crime: Iurie Mereacre, from Chisinau, organized a ring of credit card theft
	In 'de facto' independent Transdniestria, the young country's red and green flag is proudly shown by pro-freedom residents
	Taiwan (shown) is a mostly unrecognized country which has no U.N. membership. It has now recognized Kosovo's independence move
	Mehmet Ali Tarat, the President of Northern Cyprus, extended formal recognition to Kosovo on Monday on the basis of self-rule
	Supporters of Kosovo's unilateral independence wave the flags of America and Albania in Pristina Sunday, defying Serb opposition
	Vladimir Putin rejects outright the claims that Kosovo is somehow unique - "Pridnestrovie's the same," he says... (File photo)
	Divided from Moldova by history, language and the Dniester river (shown), Pridnestrovie is at peace after 17+ years on its own
	Spymaster? PMR Parliamentary Speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk, 39, thinks his country needs a special agency to deal with foreign intel
	Anatol Lieven, a prominent British analyst, says that Kosovo will set a precedent for disputed territories in the former USSR
	Valerianus Tulgar, leader of the largest civil society group of Moldovans in Pridnestrovie, is in favor of independence
	With technology from a Dutch partner, Pridnestrovie now forecasts a production of one million long-stemmed roses per year
	Europe's largest people-smuggler, a Moldovan, forced thousands of women into prostitution to pay off their "debt." (File photo)
	Russia's Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov (file photo)
	Orderly: Transdniestria's school children (shown) suffer less from corrupt education officials than Moldova's, new study reveals
	Unlike churches in Moldova, those in Transdniestria - such as this church in Tiraspol - are safe from religious persecution
	Gay bashing is not just a Moldovan occurrence, but in Moldova the violence to gays is done by the country's police. (File photo)
	Yevgeny Shevchuk, 39, is the Speaker of Pridnestrovie's Parliament and head of the country's largest opposition party
	British conflict resolution specialist Stefan Wolff says Kosovo independence sets an important precedent. (Photo: Nell Freeman)
	Under attack: Churches in Moldova are harassed by secret service personnel in the latest crackdown against religious freedom
	Transdniestria, a slim territory between Moldova and Ukraine, declared independence in 1990 - one year before Moldova
	Believers in Moldova light religious candles and pray that their priests will survive the new court cases by the government
	Female inmates of Tiraspol's Women's Prison #3 (shown) are among those who will benefit from this year's amnesty program in PMR
	The rail traffic should be resumed, said the EU's Kalman Mizsei during his official visit to Pridnestrovie's Parliament (shown)
	Pridnestrovie's Foreign Minister Valeri Litskai asks why Moldova won't adhere to the more than 70 documents it already signed
	The head of Russia's third of the peacekeeping contingent, Anatoly Zverev, underscores that peace is currently being kept 100%
	In Rybnitsa, gas station number 14 of the Sheriff chain opened on 24 December 2007 offering free gasoline to all drivers
	Members of the Transdniestrian government during Thursday's meeting with OSCE-head Ilkka Kanerva in the capital Tiraspol
	Left behind: A woman begs for cash outside a currency exchange in Moldova that receives remittances from illegal workers abroad
	In Pridnestrovie's Parliament, the opposition-led majority plans a series of sweeping reforms aimed at "de-Sovietization"
	Abkhazia's President Sergei Bagapsh (shown) sees little hope of a breakthrough in independence talks with Georgia's Saakashvili
	Religious freedom is better protected in Pridnestrovie (shown) where 5 times as many religions are registered than in Moldova
	Road to nowhere? Despite generous int'l handouts, a new study says Moldova's roads are still as bad as the worst parts of Africa
	The chairman of Pridnestrovie's legislature, Yevgeny Shevchuk, says it is important to maintain an open dialogue with neighbors
	Minority opposition members of Moldova's embattled parliament say the country is neither free nor democratic (Photo: USAID)
	Police is the most corrupting institution in Moldova, a new international report says. (File photo: Claus Neukirch/OSCE)
	Miserable in Moldova: The country is officially the unhappiest in the world, according to a new American book
	Voters in Transdniestria (shown) believe that a Ron Paul presidency will bring about a safer world with more respect for freedom
	Moldovan strongman Vladimir Voronin. "Now all his illegal deeds have turned against him," says a leading analyst in the country
	For the first time ever, the World Bank wants to help Pridnestrovie by funding projects. But critics warn of a U.S. policy bias
	Russia's military chief of staff Yury Baluevsky made it clear that Pridnestrovie gets recognition if Kosovo does. (File photo)
	Festive season's decoration from a middle class home in Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie. (Photo: Ekaterina Semenyuk)
	Since 1990, the PMR flag is the only one which has flown over the 'de facto' independent country. Kosovo has no flag yet
	Moldova's "Jurnal de Chisinau" says Putin can order the murder of Moldovan strongman Vladimir Voronin, a former Soviet general
	Transdniestria's President Igor Smirnov says his country has a better claim to independent statehood than Kosovo, in Serbia
	Sergei Mironov, chairman of Russia's upper chamber of parliament, is now ready to consider formal recognition of Pridnestrovie
	The Pope's message to "those who are still denied their legitimate aspirations for a more secure existence" was applauded in PMR
	Moldova's parliament (shown) acts against the "principles of a constitutionally democratic state" say leading foreign investors
	The Moldovan song contest entry promoted underage sexual abuse and for this reason was banned from Eurovision (File photo)
	Gazprom will charge Transdniestria $192 per thousand cubic meters of gas in 2008, while Moldova pays only $190 instead
	Independence now: PMR (Pridnestrovie), sandwiched between Moldova and Ukraine, is also known as Transnistria or Trans-Dniestria
	Moldova's strongman Vladimir Voronin is head of one of the richest families in his country, but now lashes out at Transdniestria
	The 17 meter Christmas Tree in Tiraspol is about to be decorated by the city's inhabitants. Moldova is not allowed one yet.
	Street scene from Tiraspol: Transdniestria (Pridnestrovie) is one of the 4 new countries closely watching Kosovo for a precedent
	Government officials from Pridnestrovie met with UNICEF in Tiraspol Thursday to plan ways of fighting child abuse together
	Based in Tiraspol, Transdniestria's Central Bank maintains the small country's own currency, the PMR Rouble
	Self-styled "Helsinki" human rights defender Ştefan Urîtu has been accused of cooking the books; defrauding donors of €500,000
	One of the aid trucks from Children's Emergency Relief International, CERI, arriving in Pridnestrovie with help for orphans
	For the first time ever, Pridnestrovie's capital Tiraspol (shown) hosted round-table talks between the two sides in the conflict
	The 'de facto' republic of Trans-Dniester has been independent since 1990 and fought back a Moldovan attack in 1992 (File photo)
	Green light: Boris Gryzlov, who leads Russia's largest political party, is getting ready to recognize 3 unrecognized countries
	A voter in Transdniestria (Pridnestrovie) casts his ballot in a recent election, unobserved on purpose by the OSCE
	A boy in Pridnestrovie helps his ethnic Russian father drop his vote in the ballot box for Sunday's parliamentary elections
	Lt. Col. Alexei Carasiov, who served in Iraq, says the U.S. is providing Moldova with high-tech equipment (Photo: Centcom)
	Vladimir Putin, Russia's current president, is the most popular politician among Moldovans. They trust him more than Voronin
	Transdniestria declared independence in 1990. It is not yet clear what sort of attraction that a union with Moldova could offer
	For the past 16 years, Pridnestrovie has issued its own postage stamps. Its own domestic mail system has functioned since 1991
	MP Konstantin Kosachev from the "United Russia" party, left, signs a cooperation agreement with Yevgeny Shevchuk from "Renewal"
	Rock the vote ... Youth in Tiraspol spent the weekend at a live aid concert for charity, organized by a political youth group
	In the dark: The parliament building in Tiraspol, the capital. MPs from nearby Moldova want to shed light on the true situation
	Real reality: Transdniestria has its own flag, while Kosovo doesn't. Just one of dozens of differences between the two
	European Union Special Representative Kalman Mizsei says that a future Transdniestria-Moldova settlement can not be simplified
	The headquarters of Romania's intelligence agency, Serviciul Român de Informaţii (S.R.I.), in Bucharest: Money for the boys
	Empty tables in Madrid: Latest 5+2 meeting failed because Moldova refused to show, says Pridnestrovie's Foreign Ministry
	Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Russian State Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee (file photo)
	American blockbusters take front row and center at Tiraspol's multiplex cinema which re-opens today after extensive upgrades
	Arseniy Yatsenyuk (shown) forgot to look up the word "precedent" in the dictionary, suggest Russian MP Andrei Klimov
	Above its masthead, the cover of the English-language "Cyprus Times" announces TRNC's 24th anniversary celebration
	Illegal candles? A priest had his car held for 4 days by Transdniestria's customs police after an attempt to smuggle candles
	Instead of seeking international support, PMR's Foreign Minister lashed out against Bulgaria and Romania; calling them "lice"
	Viktor Alksnis, 57, is known as the "Black Colonel" for his political views. Now he urges Russian recognition of PMR statehood
	A Pridnestrovie-born German and his daughter stand beside one of the country's memorials to the ethnic German communities in PMR
	Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, is seen as the top takeover-target of Georgia's military plans
	1992: A Transdniestrian civilian writes "PMR" on a stolen tank while another hoists the new republic's red-and-green flag on it
	A clear mind and a pair of hands is needed to discover the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, an archaeological treasure trove
	Gen. Vladimir Isakov, Russia's deputy defense minister, says Russia can remove old ammunition from Transdniestria in six months
	Nina Dyulgerova, Professor of History, is a specialist in the diplomatic history of the Balkans, Russia, Caucasus, East Europe
	"Russia has long ago carried out all of its CFE obligations," says Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, the country's military chief of staff
	The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly discussed frozen conflicts. Moldova was there, but Transdniestria was not invited
	Romania's Foreign Minister Adrian Cioroianu added his country to a growing list of states that oppose an independent Kosovo
	There are now more than 4,000 small and medium sized businesses, such as this one, all throughout the length of Pridnestrovie
	In this broadcast by the RTTV satellite channel, the presidents of three unrecognized states are seen signing a joint agreement
	Speaker of Parliament Yevgeny Shevchuk, 39, doesn't believe in unilateral "solutions" imposed from the outside
	Protestors in demanding recognized independence in a big demonstration held Tiraspol, the capital of Transdniestria, in 2006
	NATO troops needed here? Transdniestria lives peacefully now, with not a single loss of life in the conflict since 1992
	Nino Burdzhanadze looks the other way. Georgia's speaker expects Abkhazia and South Ossetia to get int'l recognition in 2008
	U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman criticizes Washington's double standards on how Transdniestria is treated differently from Kosovo
	Privately owned real estate in the city of Rybnitsa, in northern PMR, has doubled in value over the past year
	Farm losses caused by this year's drought in Pridnestrovie are estimated at between $40 and $45 million USD. (File photo)
	Young churchgoers from Pridnestrovie light candles in an Orthodox Christian church in Tiraspol (Photo: Ekaterina Semenyuk)
	Activists from Amnesty International taking part in a protest demonstration and candle-light vigil for human rights
	Bishop Justinian warns of "church war" if Romanian pushes its juridisction onto Transdniestria against the will of its believers
	Modest Kolerov: "The best outcome for Moldova will be an honorable peace with the people of Pridnestrovie"
	Pridnestrovie's President Igor Smirnov plans a two-day summit with his counterparts from Abkhazia and South Ossetia in November
	Chisinau's "NIT TV" channel has interviewed Moldovan President Voronin (shown) but never Transdniestrian President Igor Smirnov
	Andrei Stratan, Foreign Minister of Moldova, characterizes his country's relationship with the USA as "intense." (Photo: NATO)
	Exterior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, which the Speaker of PMR's Parliament visited and prayed in
	Pridnestrovie (shown) is not a black hole and its image has improved a lot, Moldova now admits
	Louis O'Neill - who is wanted as a suspect in a smuggling case - is quitting the OSCE prematurely, says the organization
	Poll results: Consumers in Pridnestrovie consider their living standards to be higher than in Moldova
	Speaker of Parliament Yevgeny Shevchuk wants Moldova to treat Pridnestrovie with respect, and promises to do the same in return
	In 2006, O'Neill declared fraud in Transdniestria's independence referendum. But he wasn't there and didn't send any observers
	Europe will discuss the future of Transdniestria and 3 other unrecognized countries ... but doesn't want to hear their opinions
	Parliamentary Speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk, 39, says the blockade by Moldova is the top economic problem right now
	Transdniestria wants to keep its 816 km border secure and not run the risk of turning into a "black hole." (File photo)
	A relief to some? Jehovah's Witnesses had 200 of their magazines retained for not importing them properly to Transdniestria
	Grigore Mărăcuţă is a leading politician in Pridnestrovie and also an ethnic Moldovan who fully supports independence
	Inside Pridnestrovie's opposition-controlled Parliament, President Igor Smirnov is now facing increasingly stiff resistance
	An official delegation from Venezuela's Parliament, seated left, met with the head of Pridnestrovie's State University, Tiraspol
	Although speaking of peace, Moldova's President Voronin is secretly expanding his military and putting more men under arms
	Roman Konoplev, editor of Lenta PMR, sees Moldova's double citizenship prohibition for public workers as a way to exclude PMR
	Lots of free local food greeted city dwellers and visitors to the PMR capital, Tiraspol, during its 215th birthday celebrations
	Kids in PMR, born after the new country declared its independence in 1990, hold up hearts in an anniversary event for Tiraspol
	Tiraspol was founded 215 as a Russian border town. Here, the city's flag is hoisted with PMR's red-and-green in the background
	Pridnestrovie has been a "de facto" independent country for more than 17 years. And in the past it was an autonomous republic
	Pridnestrovie's Foreign Minister Valeri Litskai sees Chisinau's latest gimmick as a cheap PR stunt with no seriousness behind it
	The "nightmare of 1992" was unleashed against Pridnestrovie when Moldova decided to start a war to solve the conflict: 1000 died
	Gheorghe Sima of the "Patria Moldova" party which supports the independence of Pridnestrovie
	UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warns Georgia not to provoke a new war against Abkhazia
	Visiting Tiraspol, OSCE-head Miguel Angel Moratinos says that both sides have to agree to Transdniestria's future status
	Minister of Education Mary Pashchenko surprised delegates from Ukraine by giving her speech in their native language, Ukrainian
	Former Soviet general Vladimir Voronin is now the president of Moldova, the poorest country in Europe, and PMR fears a new war
	Face to face: In Tiraspol, British diplomats (left) meet with lawmakers from Pridnestrovie in the PMR Parliament's briefing room
	Ekaterina Samoilyk, MP from Ukraine: "I feel very comfortable here, like at home, as if there were no borders between us"
	Spanish foreign minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos is due to arrive in Tiraspol as the current OSCE-head (File photo: State.gov)
	Border point: Transdniestria's Parliament abolished the entry fee and Moldovans will now be able to enter Transdniestria freely
	At a border crossing entering Transdniestria, local girls in traditional dress greet visitors with bread and salt
	In 2003, Transdniestria agreed to join with Moldova inside a joint federation under Moldova's dominance. But Moldova refused
	Former Moldovan presidential advisor Sergiu Mocanu: "Transnistria isn't part of Moldova, and that's a fact we need to recognize"
	In Kosovo, NATO troops help make independence become a reality. But in Transdniester, their role would be the exact opposite
	A new photo book has been published with interviews in three languages covering the hopes and dreams of Pridnestrovie's people
	Thousands of Buddhist monks are leading a wave of street protests demanding freedom and democracy in Burma (officially Myanmar)
	A supporter of democracy from Transdniestria holds up a message to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko as he gets off his bus
	The proposed map of the new Flemish Republic which could become reality if the two sides in Belgium fail to come to an agreement
	Off the air: TVR1 has been taken off the air by Moldova's regime despite a valid license to broadcast until 2011
	Just in time for its 215th birthday, the city of Tiraspol has a new anthem. The local marching band is already practicing it
	Lithuania's President Valdas Adamkus says that "the lives and dreams" of those who live in unrecognized countries are frozen
	Moldova's latest corruption ranking of just 2.9 puts it alongside African countries such as Uganda, Rwanda and Mozambique
	Close-up detail of a PMR issued license plate with the red-and-green flag and a security hologram against forgery
	The local Gazprom headquarters in Tiraspol. Now Pridnestrovie will have to raise fees to pay its gas bill
	Russia's Aleksander Suvorov founded Tiraspol (shown) nearly 215 years ago. Now the city prepares its anniversary bash for 14 Oct
	Oleg Voronin runs the business arm of the Voronin clan. His father, who is Moldova's president, runs the country
	British Euro-MP Charles Tannock is a Ukraine specialist and the foreign policy spokesman for his party at the EU level
	A car at risk: Transdniester's own license plates show the red-and-green PMR flag. This tag is from the capital, Tiraspol
	The restored cemetery's non-denominational Christian monument honors all soldiers who died in Bender, regardless of nationality
	Most Moldovans are OK with granting independence to Transnistria, which celebrated its 17th independence day on 2 Sept (shown)
	Is there hope at the end of the rainbow? Tiraspol, shown here, awaits international acceptance of its 'de facto' statehood
	Tiraspol often stages open-air concerts and special cultural events for the visitors, but tourist are still few and far between
	Tiraspol often stages open-air concerts and special cultural events for the visitors, but tourist are still few and far between
	Transdniestrian customs inspectors, shown here, help enforce the republic's borders in collaboration with neighboring states
	Igor Smirnov, one of the founding fathers of Pridnestrovie and the republic's current president
	Pridnestrovie's Foreign Ministry sent its condolences to the American people on the tragedy which struck them on 9/11/2001
	Igor Smirnov, re-elected to Pridnestrovie's presidency in Dec 2006, talks about his willingness to return to talks with Moldova
	Grigore Kotovski was immortalized with a statue in Tiraspol. But last week, pranksters took off with his statue'sword
	Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie, was visited by U.S. Ambassador Michael Kirby for talks with government leaders
	You can't just put your John Hancock on a declaration and expect others to recognize your independence. Or can you?
	Masha Rasputina visited Tiraspol for a free concert Sunday in the small country. "Mick", on the right, didn't show (File photo)
	Karl Volker, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, says his country will recognize Kosovo's independence no matter what
	Karl Volker, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, says his country will recognize Kosovo's independence no matter what
	Shoppers in Rybnitsa, in northern Pridnestrovie, mass the new checkout lines at the city's second Sheriff supermarket
	One of the female defenders of Pridnestrovie walks past the eternal flame in Tiraspol, the republic's capital, on 6 Sept 2007
	Ethnic Russians in Pridnestrovie tie themselves in the ribbon of Russia's flag colors. They'll get no financial help from Russia
	One of Kvint's flagship products, the "Suvorov" cognac, bears the name of the Russian general who founded the city of Tiraspol
	MP Valentin Varennikov, the former commander of Soviet Forces in Afghanistan, supports Pridnestrovie's independence
	Tarzan Kokoity, center, headed a delegation from South Ossetia. Its lawmakers look to Pridnestrovie as a leadership example
	A huge red-and-green flag, the national colors of PMR, was raised in central Tiraspol on 2 Sep 2007 to celebrate independence
	EU's involvement in the region has not helped relations between the two sides in the conflict, some say. (File photo: EUBAM)
	Born in the PMR: A member of a youth group carries the flag of the unrecognized republic during its independence celebrations
	On 2 September 2007, Pridnestrovie turned 17. Since 1990 the small country has been "de facto" independent
	Several first-graders among the orpans celebrated their first day of school at the Parkany boarding school in southern PMR
	Celebrations took place in the same building where Pridnestrovie's independence was proclaimed 17 years ago
	Alexander Caraman is an ethnic Moldovan and former Vice President of Pridnestrovie. He fully supports independent statehood
	Transdnister President Igor Smirnov, rights, says that future status settlement talks with Moldova will be about independence
	Pridnestrovie's parliament played host to the President's press conference with BBC and wire service correspondents
	The paintings of local Tiraspol artist Leonid Pirozhenko exude the wish of Pridnestrovie for freedom and an end to conflict
	The humble headquarters of Radio PMR, "the voice of the rebel republic" that broadcasts worldwide
	Louis O'Neill, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, is wanted for questioning in a smuggling case (Photo: Claus Neukirch, OSCE)
	Hospitals in Tiraspol and other cities in Pridnestrovie are recipients of Irish medical aid
	Sergei Pirozhkov, Ukraine's Ambassador to Moldova, blames the sides in the conflict for failure in their status settlement talks
	The frontier: As a natural border, the Dniester river has always represented the furthest reach of any Moldovan state in history