Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin accuses Russia of lack of cooperation in Transdniestrian conflict settlement and called Russia’s ammunition depot from the breakaway region “a political shield supporting the Transdniestrian regime”.

In an interview for Russian journalists Voronin said: “Russia’s control over this territory is obvious and we must call to account those who do not desire to solve this conflict”.

“About two billion dollars are being laundered every year in Transdniestria and no one wants to give up this source so easily,” Vladimir Voronin said. Being asked what Russia must do to help solve the conflict, the Moldovan President said that it must take the munitions from that territory. “We consider this depot a political shield that supports the Transdniestrian regime,” the President emphasized.

Vladimir Voronin added Moldova can prove Tiraspol sold weapons to Iraq. The document from Hussein’s archive that can confirm this is being studied by the Moldovan authorities now, he said.

Vladimir Voronin regrets Mr. Putin has not yet paid a visit to Moldova. “We presume the information reaches the person to which it is addressed in a distorted way, it being modified by those structures that have interest in the existence of this “Klondike” in Transdniestria,” the President told.

In an interview for Russian journalists last Thursday, the Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev accused Tiraspol of illegal sale of Russian weapons which reached some hot spots including Chechnya. Russian officials denied these statements, qualifying them as “political”.