Moldovan president objects to opening Russian consulate in Transdniestria

CHISINAU - No Russian consulate can be opened in Transdniestria before Russian military servicemen are withdrawn from the region and before the conflict over Transdniestria is settled, says Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti.

"The opening of a consulate is being discussed, and it was discussed during Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin's visit to Moldova. There are different options, and the debates are continuing. Nevertheless, I think a consulate cannot be opened before the Russian troops are withdrawn from Transdniestria and before the problem of Transdniestria is settled," Timofti said at a meeting of the Chisinau press club on Saturday.

The problem is security of Russian diplomats in Transdniestria, he said.

"The matter is about security, which the state is supposed to guarantee - not Transdniestria but Moldova," he said.

Speaking at a news conference in Chisinau on Friday, Rogozin said he did not see problems in providing security in Transdniestria.

"These problems are being discussed and they can well be solved. The OSCE mission has its office in Transdniestria, and foreign diplomats regularly come there. I do not see any special problems," he said.

Rogozin praised the way negotiations between Russia and Moldova are proceeding, saying that the two countries have agreed on opening a Russian consulate in Balti, northern Moldova, where a lot of Russian citizens live.

"As for the opening of a Russian consulate [in Transdniestria], on which we insist, this dialogue will be continued, including during the next round of consultations between the Russian and Moldovan Foreign Ministries on November 22," he said.