RUSSIA WILL FORMALLY RECOGNIZE TRANSDNIESTER’S INDEPENDENCE, SAY MPS
By Times staff
Tiraspol Times & Weekly Review, Moldova
June 8 2007
It is only a matter of time before Russia grants international
diplomatic recognition to Transdniester. That is the latest
message from 3 leading Russian politicians. But not everyone in
the unrecognized country, which is formally known as Pridnestrovie,
believe their promises.
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?"