The withdrawal of a contingent of Russian troops from Pridnestrovie will significantly complicate the situation in the country and will have a negative impact on the course of negotiations on the settlement of the conflict, Russia's ambassador at large Sergey Gubarev said in an interview with TASS news agency on the margins of the annual OSCE Conference on Security Issues in Vienna.
"The signing of a number of agreements between Moldova and Pridnestrovie over the past six months has opened a new page in relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol and has given us hope for further progress," he said. "However, these hopes were overshadowed by the actions of the Moldovan side, which recently submitted a resolution on the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country's territory for the UN General Assembly's consideration. We view this as an absolutely provocative step, as a blow to all the positive things that have been worked out in recent months, as a purely PR move and an advertising action by a number of anti-Russian officials and politicians in Chisinau, who want to earn points on the eve of the upcoming parliamentary elections by inciting anti-Russian sentiments."
"Not so much time has passed since the tragic events of 1992, and it is surprising that today's politicians have forgotten that only thanks to the active intervention of Russian soldiers the bloodshed was stopped in the region, that the Russian military contingent is today the only guarantor of peace and stability in this region, the diplomat added.
He expressed disappointment that "a number of countries considered it possible to join the above resolution as co-authors."
"I want to emphasize that Pridnestrovie is the only region in Eastern Europe where hostilities have not resumed after the beginning of the peacekeeping operation and the deployment of the Russian military contingent," said the ambassador. "Therefore, the provocative nature of this step is clear to all and absolutely obvious. It seems to me that its consequences will manifest itself not only in the very near future but also in the long run."
Sergey Gubarev called on those who are trying to make sharp movements and careless steps on the track of frozen conflicts, in particular the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian settlement, which has lasted for more than a quarter of a century, to responsibility, caution and understanding that "any action is fraught with certain consequences that should be estimated and assumed responsibility for. "
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.
