TIRASPOL, June 19. /ITAR-TASS/. The decision of Ukraine’s authorities to close its border with Transdniestria will adversely affect ordinary people, leader of the unrecognized Republic of Transdiestria Yevgeny Shevchuk said on Thursday.

“We hope the Ukrainian authorities will not resort to complete blocking of the border section with Transdniestria,” he told journalists. “We will raise this issue at international venues, since building of fortified zones at border is not what people living in Transdniestria, Ukraine and Moldova want from us in the 21st century.”

When asked whether there was a risk of Transdniestria’s isolation and possible pooling efforts of Chisinau and Kiev to exert pressure on Transdniestria, Shevchuk said, “It will bring no good.” “We respect Moldova’s decision to sign an association agreement with the European Union, but it is counter-productive for force us into it. Suffice it to remember the recent history of 1991-1992, when pressure was exerted on us to impose somebody else’s viewpoints, such efforts resulted in a tragedy. I hope Moldova’s and Ukraine’s current leaders are wise enough to avoid mistakes that occurred in the Moldovan-Transdniestrian relations (the Dniester armed conflict),” he said.

Earlier this week, the Ukrainian parliament empowered the cabinet of ministers to suspend the work of border check points and enhance control at the Transdniestrian section of the border with Moldova. The Kiev authorities claim that Russian gunmen penetrate into Ukraine’s Odessa region from Transdniestria. However no evidence proving such allegation has been presented.

On Thursday, Transdniestria commemorates the Bendery tragedy of 1992, when most bloody battles between Moldovan and Transdniestrian armed units took place. The civil war was then stopped thanks to Russian peacekeepers.