Moldova ex-Premier says Ukraine will annex Transnistria

Eventually, Transnistria will be annexed by Ukraine, the first Prime Minister of Moldova Mircea Druc said in an interview with the Chisinau-based “Pro Consumator” newspaper. Asked how in his view Moldova would further move, towards Russia or the European Union, Druc said that it depends on the choice of the Moldovan electorate in the next elections. The involvement of the young generation in politics and the recent performance of Dorin Chirtoaca seem to be an augury, Mircea Druc added. The former prime minister says that the reunification of Moldova with Romania, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, was and is still depending on the political class in Chisinau and on the Moldovan electorate. Two such chances have been missed – in August 1991 and in February 1992, when the official Bucharest refused to introduce the Romanian Leu into Moldova. Mircea Druc was one of the leaders of the People’s Front in the 90s. He served as Prime Minister between May 1990 and May 1991, but was dismissed by the then President of Moldova, Mircea Snegur, as a result of some disagreements. He now lives in Romania. In a recent interview with Info-Prim Neo, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Chisinau Serghei Pirojkov said that the position of Ukraine as guarantor country in the settlement process remains unchanged: the conflict must be solved by observing the democratic values, the principles of supremacy of law; by guaranteeing the rights and fundamental freedoms of the citizens, the respect for the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, and by taking account of the interests of Transnistria’s residents. For Ukraine, this is one of the most important national security matters. During the settlement process, the authorities in Kiev expressed their firm conviction that a comprehensive and stable settlement method can be worked out only in cooperation with all the sides involved.