MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. Resolving the Transnistrian issue by force, the way Kiev wants to do, is getting in the way of peace efforts, Alexey Polishchuk, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Second CIS Department, told TASS in an interview.

"Chisinau’s use of economic measures and other [levers of] pressure on Tiraspol as well as the use-of-force scenarios to solve the Transnistrian issue promoted by Kiev are hindering the process of seeking viable ways of settlement instead of bringing them closer," the diplomat noted.

According to him, the appeal for help from Russia and international agencies brought forth by participants at a meeting of Transnistria’s people’s deputies held on February 28 reflects the degree of tension around this region. "Transnistria, where, as I said, 220,000 Russian citizens reside, is in the field of our unrelenting attention. So Tiraspol’s appeal will be very attentively considered," the diplomat stressed.

Also, Polishchuk said that the Ukrainian Internal Ministry declaring Vitaly Ignatyev, Transnistria’s top negotiator and the head of its Foreign Ministry, as wanted is yet another escalation factor.

"We consider this decision by Ukraine, which is, like Russia, a guarantor and mediator in the process of the Transnistrian settlement, as highly destructive," he noted. "The same goes for amendments to the legislation on counteracting separatism approved by Chisinau earlier. Kiev’s decision deals a serious blow to the negotiation process. We expect an appropriate reaction to this on the part of the OSCE on the eve of a visit from the organization’s current chair [Maltese Foreign Minister Ian] Borg to the region slated for April 12," the diplomat added.