Political analyst says Moldova could follow Spanish model to settle Transnistrian dispute

The Transnistrian conflict settlement must be based on the following principle: the guarantors of the final solution to the conflict (Russia and Ukraine) cannot guarantee what they have not experienced in their own countries. Moldova could follow the Spanish model. The Spaniards do not call their country federation in order to avoid secession-related pretensions, but state of autonomous units. The ideas form part of a new study made by political analyst Igor Botan, the executive director of the Association for Participative Democracy ADEPP, Info-Prim Neo reports. Moldova could grant its autonomous regions powers similar to those offered to the units of the Russian Federation, avoiding the name of federation so as to prevent separatist movements, the author says. Igor Botan considers that the Transnistrian dispute could be solved only by talks in the 5+2 format. Any other format involves huge risks as Moldova could remain without the support of the EU and the U.S. that it needs to balance the Russian interests in the region. The analyst reiterates that Russia should be considered party to the conflict rather than mediator and guarantor. “It we speak about Russia as guarantor, we can say that it guarantees its own interests and the State Duma’s statement of March 10, 2006 confirmed this. The statement said that Moldova’s and Ukraine’s decision to introduce new customs rules “runs counter to Russia’s interest”, the study says. The executive director of ADEPT also says that if the conflict is maintained “frozen” it could be later solved in Russia’s interests: the union of two entities with legal rights by offering the veto right to Transnistria and keeping the Russian military presence in the region. The study “Transnistrian Settlement: European Solution” is a detailed description of the events that happened after the military conflict of 1992 until present, with emphasis on the most important developments in the conflict settlement process.