Transnistria President issues decree to join Russia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Transnistria President Yevgeny Shevchuk has endorsed by presidential decree the result of the 2006 referendum in which 97% of the population opted for independence followed by unification with Russia, BNE Intellinews reports.

Shevchuk’s move comes in advance of Transnistria’s presidential elections in December. It has been criticised by Chisinau, which says the decree undermines the efforts carried by the authorities in Moldova and the international partners involved in the 5+2 negotiations aimed at identifying a viable solution to the problems in Transnistria while observing the integrity of the sovereign state of Moldova.

The decree stipulates, as a first step, the adjustment of the region’s legal system in line with Russia’s laws.

Transnistria, a thin strip of land between the Dniester river and Moldova’s border with Ukraine, does not share a border with Russia. It has been de facto independent since the early 1990s but is not internationally recognised.

Shevchuk’s announcement received a moderate response from the Moldovan authorities. Moldova’s government has called on its international partners to state their positions on the decree and to avoid further deterioration in the negotiation process and the emergence of new tensions in this part of Europe.