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Transnistrian Conflict on April 2–15, 2007

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Moldovan-Russian consultations on Transnistria

On 6 April the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Andrei Stratan, undertook an official visit to Moscow, where he met with the Russian Foreign Minister, Serghei Lavrov, and the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign affairs, Constantin Kosaciov. After the meetings, Minister Stratan showed confident that Russia will exert a constructive influence over the Transnistrian settlement process. “Russia is one of the key factors in terms of the Transnistrian settlement. And if we reach a solution to the conflict in the near future, of which we are certain, Russia will have a lot to gain politically. Thus Moscow will show its capacity to play a key role in solving «frozen conflicts» from the former Soviet Union, which will set an example for other cases”, said Stratan in Moscow, quoted by Novyi Region Agency. Referring to the Moldovan-Russian bilateral relations, Stratan said that Moldova is interested to deepen partnership relations with Russia and that between the two states there is mutual understanding on a wide range of issues. At the same time, Minister Stratan mentioned that the European orientation of Moldova does not rule out friendship relations with Russia, and gave guarantees that Moldova does not intend to join NATO and will maintain its neutrality enshrined in the Constitution.

On the other hand, a communique of the Russian Foreign Ministry mentions that discussions between the Foreign Ministers of the two states took place in an “open and constructive” atmosphere and touched upon aspects of bilateral relations. With regard to the Transnistrian issues, the two sides stressed the need for a “compromise that would unblock the negotiations”. According to the communique, Russian Federation reiterated its support for a political solution of the problem according to agreements reached by the “equal sides to the conflict” and on the basis of a “special, soundly guaranteed status” of Transnistria.

It is worth noting that in an interview on eve of the Moscow consultations, President Vladimir Voronin said that the Transnistrian problem will no longer be the determining issue in Moldova’s relations with Russia. According to Voronin, this is a wrong approach, and bilateral relations need to be built on the basis of pragmatic cooperation, the way these develop at the moment being much more productive.

A series of local and international media outlets published a number of versions regarding the contents of some possible agreements between Moldova and Russia on Transnistria, however none of these versions have been confirmed to date.

Budgetary crisis in the Transnistrian region

On 4 April the Supreme Soviet in Tiraspol a adopted an appeal to the Russian Federal Assembly asking for the “creation of conditions for unblocking the region and for ensuring the foreign trade activity of Transnistrian economic agents and provision of financial assistance to countrymen and citizens of Russian Federation residing in Transnistria”. According to the Appeal, Russian support is necessary after the joint Moldovan-Ukrainian customs regime introduced on 3 March 2006 led to a critical socio-economic situation in Transnistria, huge economic losses, loss of markets and impoverishment of population.

The appeal comes at a time when Transnistrian authorities found themselves in a critical budgetary situation, lacking the necessary resources to cover the USD 100 million budgetary deficit after Russia stopped financial assistance to Transnistria. The Supreme Soviet adopted a series of amendments to the 2007 budget by reducing funding for “state” programmes on education, agriculture and constructions and reallocating these resources to social payments. The Transnistrian leader Igor Smirnov said that Transnistria’s budget was developed by taking into account Russian financial assistance and that although all the necessary decisions on granting Russian assistance for social programmes and the gaz debt have been taken there are still problems related to the “mechanism of granting” this assistance.

It is worth noting that on 6 April the Moscow based newspaper Kommersant published the commentary “Russia’s hand is tired of giving”, according to which Moscow is tired of the “consuptionist” attitude of Igor Smirnov, who rejects any agreement with Chisinau, even one guaranteed by Russia, refuses to pay Transnistria debt for Russian gaz, and only continues to ask Russia for more non-reimbursable financial assistance. According to Kommersant, Moscow is so irritated by such behaviour of Smirnov, that it is ready to freeze its financial assistance to Transnistria and may even want to find a replacement for him.

March 19 – April 1, 2007 April 16–30, 2007