Tiraspol, 28 June. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The Moldovan leadership has been systematically and consistently working to discredit the peacekeeping operation, which has been selected as a target, the director of the Bureau of Political Studies "Mediator" Sergei Shirokov said on First Pridnestrovian TV channel. He stressed that the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a resolution on the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops, a decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova and the expulsion of Russian diplomats by Chisinau are links of the same chain.
Commenting on the adoption of this document, the pundit noted that this would not have been possible without the support of the US and its allies. He drew attention to the fact that some provisions of the draft resolution were quite illogical.
"Obviously, for example, they can hardly understand in Honduras what are the OGRF, the 14th Army, Russian peacekeepers. But it should be basically understood that even references in this resolution demanding that Russia should fulfil the requirements of the CFE Treaty are already obsolete. Russia has declared a moratorium on participation in this treaty since 2007 since NATO countries do not fulfil it," Shirokov said.
"This is an absolutely political document that does not bear any legal obligations either for Russia or even more so for Pridnestrovie," he added.
In his opinion, if Moldova really wants to make Russian troops to be pulled out and to stop the peacekeeping operation, it must withdraw from the 1992 Agreement and destroy all the existing negotiating mechanisms.
"But the consequences of this decision are obvious to everyone. The Security Zone be eliminated; Russian peacekeepers will be withdrawn; our Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova will return to their positions as of July 1992," he warned.
In his turn, Pridnestrovie's ex-foreign minister Vladimir Yastrebchak focused on the fact that the Russia-led peacekeeping operation is clearly international.
"It is conducted in accordance with the international legal document with very serious international presence, including OSCE observers, Ukraine's observers. Needless to say that the Resolution cannot change the established effective peacekeeping format. Although this situation will certainly be used for destabilization," the expert maintained.
In his opinion, the political circles of the Republic of Moldova are trying to use the topic of the Russian military presence before the elections.
"There is a desire to present these elections as 'the eternal struggle between good and evil.' To combat the Russian influence, they are trying to mobilize the right-wing voters and take off the votes of potential 'unionists' and enlist their support," added Vladimir Yastrebchak.
He expressed the opinion that attacks on the peacekeeping operation will continue, at least until the end of the electoral campaign in Moldova.
On 22 June, the UN General Assembly called on Russia to withdraw troops from Pridnestrovie. The resolution was supported by 64 states with 14 countries voting against it. Another 83 countries abstained. Pridnestrovie said that no decision on the withdrawal of Russian troops can be made without taking into account Tiraspol's opinion. Pridnestrovie's foreign minister Vitaly Ignatyev noted that he opposed any actions that pose a threat to peace and security on the Dniester. He also stressed that there are no other Russian servicemen in Transdniestria, except peacekeepers.
