Rogozin: Timofti may say what he likes, it's Filat I've agreed with

Russia's special envoy for Transnistria Dmitry Rogozin thinks Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti's opinion on plans to open a consulate in Tiraspol counts less as long as he has an agreement with Prime Minister Vlad Filat. “Nicolae Timofti is free to state whatever he likes, but it's Filat I have an agreement with”, Rogozin was quoted by the online version of the Russian newspaper Izvestia as saying. The reaction comes after Nicolae Timofti stated Moldovan authorities would not consent to a Russian consulate in Tiraspol as long as Russian troops were stationed within the territory of Moldova. Izvestia has noted Rogozin may be right, considering that Moldova is a parliamentary country and, as such, agreements reached with the prime minister naturally overweight whatever the president has to say on the matter. After visiting Chisinau, Rogozin traveled to Tiraspol. He said Russia would continue to help the Transnistrian region develop economically as long as there was no progress in reaching a political settlement of the conflict. Soon Tiraspol will get 3 billion rubles in aid from Russia. On November 16, Dmitry Rogozin visited Chisinau and negotiated the opening of a Russian consulate in the northern city of Balti. As regards plans for a consulate in Tiraspol, the sides agreed to continue discussions on the issue, with the first occasion to be Moldo-Russian consular consultations on November 22.