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Transnistrian leader grateful to Russia for backing peacekeeping operation

Vadim Krasnoselsky had a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak

CHISINAU, January 23. /TASS/. Leader of the unrecognized Transnistrian republic Vadim Krasnoselsky pointed out at his meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak that Russian peacekeepers played a key role in maintaining peace along the Dniester River, the Transnistrian presidential press service said on Wednesday.

"Transnistria’s president conveyed words of gratitude to the leaderships of the Russian Federation for its support to the peacekeeping operation on the banks of the Dniester River, which has helped maintain peace and security and have created the conditions for peace dialogue between the sides for 27 years," the press service said in a statement.

Besides, Krasnoselsky asked Kozak to thank the Russian leadership and the Russian people "for their persistent attention and support to Transnistria."

At the talks with Kozak, who is also the Russian presidential special representative for trade and economic ties with Moldova, Krasnoselsky discussed the opening of Transnistria’s mission in Moscow. They stressed that the mission would become a major component in bilateral relations.

Apart from that, Kozak and Krasnoselsky spoke about the Transnistria negotiations. Among the priorities, they mentioned inter-bank interaction which should be improved between Moldova and the breakaway republic.

Russian peacekeepers were deployed to the conflict zone on July 29, 1992, under an agreement on principles of a peace solution to hostilities in the Transnistrian region of Moldova that the presidents of Russia and Moldova signed in presence of Transnistria’s leader on July 21, 1992.

The Russian peacekeepers stopped hostilities between the Moldovan police and Transnistrian militia, in which more than 1,000 people were killed. Since then, Russian peacekeepers have been ensuring peace in the security zone disengaging the sides, alongside peacekeepers from Moldova and Transnistria and a group of military observers from Ukraine. There have been no casualties over that period of time.

On June 22, the United Nations General Assembly passed a draft resolution urging immediate and complete withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Transnistria. The document calls on the United Nations General Assembly to put the issue of the withdrawal of foreign forces from Moldova on a preliminary agenda of its 73rd session. The draft demands Russia completely withdraw its forces from that country. The Russian side suggested the voting be postponed to have more time to discuss the draft in more detail but its initiative was turned down.