Igor Smirnov: The talks will end if Vladimir Voronin recognizes Transnistria’s statehood

The talks for solving the Transistrian dispute could end soon, but only if President Vladimir Voronin immediately recognized the statehood of Transnistria, the Transnistrian leader Igor Smirnov said in an interview for the Russian publication “Nezavisimaya Gazeta”, Info-Prim Neo reports. Igor Sirmov confirmed that he received a phone call from the Moldovan president on April 7. He said that he was earlier informed about the forthcoming conversation by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Smirnov stated that he turned down Vladimir Voronin’s proposal to meet in Holercani. “I told him that this is the place where Pasat came after released from prison. I do not intend to enter the Moldovan territory,” the leader of the breakaway republic said. Smirnov asserts yet that not the place of the meeting is essential, but the reaching of a consensus on the agreement of friendship and cooperation between Moldova and Transnistria. “If a consensus is reached and the agreement is ratified by the two legislatures, we will decide where to meet,” Igor Smirnov said. “In this case, Moldova will have to modify many adopted documents. I told Voronin about this and about the fact that I do not intend to cheat anyone – neither Moldova nor Russia,” Igor Smirnov said. On April 7, the press service of the Moldovan President announced that Vladimir Voronin had a phone conversation with Igor Smirnov. The two agreed to have a bilateral meeting to discuss issues related to the development and strengthening of the measures aimed at building confidence between Chisinau and Tiraspol. Other details about the place and time of the future meeting have not been released. A communiqué issued by the press service of the Transnistrian leader informed that at the bilateral meeting, the two officials will discuss an all-inclusive draft agreement of friendship and cooperation between Moldova and Transnistria and the Moldovan side’s confidence building measures. The last meeting of Moldova’s President Vladimir Voronin and the Transistrian leader Igor Smirnov took place seven years ago, in May 2001.