“The recognition of Transnistria’s independence, first of all by Moldova, is the only solution to the Transnistrian dispute,” the leader of the breakaway republic Igor Smirnov told a news conference held two days after he had a meeting with Moldova’s President Vladimir Voronin, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The sooner Moldova recognizes our statehood, the more prospects Moldova’s statehood will have,” Smirnov said. He stressed that the will of the people should be taken into account as they voted for an independent Transnistrian republic in the 2006 referendum. “In the past, they did the same – joined us to Bessarabia without asking the people. After the Soviet Union was dismembered, life showed that the relations can be further developed from equal positions only by fulfilling the people’s will,” the Transnistrian leader said. Smirnov said the Tiraspol administration will examine the package of documents offered by Vladimir Voronin. He stated that he has not yet familiarized with them because he is now busy with other yearend work. Vladimir Voronin and Igor Smirnov had a meeting in Tiraspol on December 24. The Moldovan head of state handed over a set of documents for solving the Transnistrian dispute to Igor Smirnov. The documents envision the transformation of Transnistria into Moldova’s autonomous territorial unit. The two leaders have not reached a consensus as regards the resumption of the Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format, but agreed to continue the consultations in the 2+1, which includes Moldova, Transnistria and Russia.