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OSCE Ambassador to Moldova speaks about Transnistria and Gagauzia


https://www.ipn.md/index.php/en/osce-ambassador-to-moldova-speaks-about-transnistria-and-gagauzia-7978_1012636.html

The Government of Moldova made no attractive gesture for Transnistria that would enable the residents of the region to feel comfortable, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Jennifer Brush said in the program “Politics” on TV7 channel, IPN reports.

“The Moldovan authorities should formulate attractive proposals for the Transnistrians. One of them is to make more efforts towards communicating with this region in the Russian language,” said the ambassador.

Jennifer Brush considers that Moscow respects the independence of Moldova, but is bothered by its European course. Thus, it uses the separatist region to blackmail Chisinau.

The ambassador also said the dialogue between Chisinau and Comrat has improved owing to the unconstitutional referendum held in Gagauzia. “I’m not a supporter of referendums because I think that the population can be easier influenced. Consequently, the results of these plebiscites aren’t relevant. I also think that the referendum held in Gagauzia is illegal, but its positive side is that it made the Moldovan politicians to devote more attention to the Gagauz problem and to start a constructive dialogue,” stated Jennifer Brush.

Political analyst Igor Botan, who is the program’s permanent invitee, said that Russia pursues strategic interests in the Transnistrian region. “Moscow spends at least one billion dollars a year on maintaining Transnistria. Over 200,000 Transnistrians received the nationality of Russia. This aspect will anytime serve as a pretext for Moscow to intervene in Transnistria, as if in order to protect its citizens,” he stated.