International media comment Voronin-Medvedev reunion

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned ex-Soviet Moldova on Monday against repeating Georgia's mistake of trying to use force to seize back control of a breakaway region. "This is a serious warning, a warning to all," he added. "And I believe we should handle other existing conflicts in this context." Reuters, quoted by Info-Prim Neo, comments that it would be a nightmare scenario for Moldova which fears Russia could recognize Transnistria. Medvedev, keen to limit diplomatic damage caused by the Russian operation in Georgia, made clear Moldova had no reason to worry for now. Russia is currently trying to forge a deal between Chisinau and Transnistrian separatists which would keep the rebel region as part of Moldova but give it broad autonomy. The Russian-brokered deal would also allow Transnistria to leave Moldova, should the former Soviet state decide to join their ethnic kin in EU member Romania. The Moldovan leader told Medvedev he had indeed learned the lesson: "Thank God, during all these years...we had enough brains and reserve not to allow a similar deterioration of situation." Agence France Presse writes that “after the failure to sign its plan to settle the conflict in 2003 (the Kozak Memo – e.n.), this year, Russia has made a new offer to Chisinau, basing on Moldova’s permanent neutrality. Instead, Transnistria is to pass under the Moldovan sovereignty. According to analysts, Russia fears Moldova could give up its neutrality and would want to join NATO, as Ukraine and Georgia do. Radio Canada reminds that the Russian army in Transnistria took the Transnistrian militia’s side in 1992 and forced the Moldovan Government to respect the area’s de facto independence, without recognizing it. Moscow, trying for several months to build a buffer in the way of NATO’s expansionist aspirations, is ready “to persuade” the authorities from Transnistria to get under the Moldovan rule. Le Monde writes that Russia’s initiative in Transnistria matches the plans of creating a neuter zone from Kaliningrad to Belarus, Moldova and reaching the Caucasus. The Muscovite publication “Moskovsky Komsomolets” writes that the Transnistrian issue is different from the relationships Georgia has with Abkhazia and South Ossetia by the fact that it cannot turn into a new military conflict: it does not have an inter-ethnic character, there are no refugees problems. And also the methods used are rather economic. But, it is obvious, the Caucasian escalation made the presidents reach the conclusion that the settlement of the conflict had good chances. The Russian publication Izvestia, close to the Kremlin, brings to the daylight details related to an incident during the talks on the verge of the Kozak plan. “At the last moment, after consulting with European officials, Vladimir Voronin made up his mind not to sign the Memo in 2003. As witnesses to those dramatic events have told Izvestia, before signing the document, Voronin was very nervous, and after talking to Solana he fell in despair. "I cannot sign this document! What shall I do?" he asked. "You’re an officer. Shoot yourself!" Dmitry Kozak joked ironically.”