Nina Shtanski: Russia will never leave Transnistria

The pro-Russian vector of Tiraspol's foreign policy does not go against the policy of cooperation with the European Union countries, including in the political field, stated Transnistria's foreign affairs chief Nina Shtanski at a news conference. “We are convinced: Russia will never leave Transnistria”, Shtanski was quoted by the news portal Regnum as saying. She went on to add that Transnistria is home to 170,000 Russian citizens. According to Nina Shtanski, Tiraspol is interested in strengthening economic and trade relations with Europe and in attracting EU investment. The EU's participation in the 5+2 negotiations offers the opportunity to the EU politicians to obtain information first-hand, avoiding “interpretations”. At the same time, added Shtanski, Tiraspol has multidimensional relations with Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other post-Soviet countries. “This is one of the reason which makes the Eurasian choice dominant in Transnistria's foreign policy”, said Shtanski, revealing that this option will be enshrined in Transnistria's updated constitution. “Russia is for the Transnistrians a guarantor state and a peace-maker. The existing peace-keeping mechanism is today the only guarantee of peace and security in the region”. Concerning the relationship with Chisinau, Nina Shtanski said that it should be built on an atmosphere of trust, “instead of expecting new threats and sanctions from our neighbor”. “We have a common problem: the poverty of the population, and we could solve this problem together”, stated Shtanski.