Russian official comments Moldova's hope that Russia will solve Transnistrian conflict

The deputy chairman of the CIS relations committee of the Russian Duma, Konstantin Zatulin, doubts whether it is a good idea that Moldova hopes Russia will solve the Transnistrian conflict. In an interview for the Muscovite radio station “Ekho Moskvy”, the deputy has said “tiny Moldova has practically frozen its relations with GUAM, because, as it is noticed, it counts on Russia in solving its Transnistrian knot, a very tight knot”. “I don't know whether it is good or not, but it certainly counts,” said the Russian parliamentarian, Info-Prim Neo reports. In the same interview, the first deputy chairman of the committee for relations with the CIS states and co-citizens, Konstantin Zatulin, has said Georgia also had counted that Russia would solve the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, “but Russia only committed to keep the peace.” In another context, at a news conference in Yerevan, Mikhail Aleksandrov, an expert with the Russian Institute for the CSI countries, has said about GUAM that “it is a propaganda initiative.” “Presently, Moldova tends to Russia; Ukraine is experiencing serious processes which can introduce changes into its foreign policy. Azerbaijan and Georgia have nothing in common. I do not eye GUAM as a threat to Russia,” said Mikhail Aleksandrov, quoted by PanArmenian. Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin missed the last three top summits of this regional organization.