Russia Against Setting Concrete Timing for Troop Withdrawal

Russian First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Trubnikov has spoken out against setting a new concrete deadline for pulling Russian troops out from Transnistria.

He told journalists after his meeting with President Voronin last night, "In such a work, no concrete timing should be imposed, because when we have one, opposing forces have a good possibility to strongly press on Russia, to procrastinate that process, and thus make us be late. So, my personal opinion is that no deadlines should be set. But even without a deadline, we shall be doing everything possible to complete the evacuation within a reasonable timing, as only the situation will permit", said Vyacheslav Trubnikov.

"This year, we have done much more than during the previous decade, so we need to keep up the pace. Troop trains have resumed leaving the region, and this is a positive signal for the international community, and for Moldova, and for Russia. We hope the process will be continued", said the diplomat.

He reminded that the Russian Government had decided to write $105 million off the Transnistria's gas debt, "and we believe this will be exactly the incentive permitting to speak with the Transnistrian administration constructively. I do hope that a mutually acceptable solution will be achieved at the forthcoming Maastricht conference of OSCE foreign ministers. We promised in Porto, too, that we would remove our weapons and ammunition provided appropriate conditions are ensured for that. We count on having such conditions in Transnistria".

Mr. Trubnikov also spoke out that Maastricht documents "should fix positive changes that are taking place in resolving the Transnistrian problem, though these are not easy to achieve. Nowadays, a joint constitution drafting commission is working, five-side negotiations are under way, so there is a movement, isn't there?"