Croatia President: Transnistria and Kosovo issues are unlike

The Transnistria dispute and the Kosovo conflict are unsuitable for comparison, although both should be settled peacefully, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, who is visiting Moldova these days, said during a meeting with his counterpart, Vladimir Voronin. Mesic said that Transnistria was in the Soviet times part of the Former Soviet Socialist Moldovan Republic and did not enjoy autonomy. In what concerns Kosovo, the situation is different, as the province is a constituent of the Federation of Yugoslavia, as well the rest of the republics. If a federation falls apart, it is absolutely normal that it receives a new status and it would be better if this thing happens following negotiations between the two sides, Mesic said. As regards the Transnistrian dispute, the Croatian head of state said that “it is better to negotiate for 10 years than to live a 10-day war”. The Croatian President pleaded for security in the region when speaking about the energy security. Also, he spoke about the cooperation possibilities between the two states, especially in the field of cargo transport via Danube after the opening of the Giurgiulesti terminal. In the context of the European integration of Moldova, Mesic said that Europe will become a very import and serious player when all the European countries join the EU. Vladimir Voronin said that there is a continuous dialogue between Moldova and Croatia and that the two countries are mutually supporting each other in the international bodies. Also, the head of state said that the European integration experience of Croatia interests Moldova; he hopes that the present relations and the developing legal framework will create better cooperation possibilities to the benefit of both states. The two heads of state attended the signing ceremony of the Cooperation Memorandum between the Centre for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption and the Office for Money Laundering Prevention of the Croatian Ministry of Finance.