Russia to send observers to the referendum in Transnistria

Chairman of the Standing Committee of Russian State Duma, Konstantin Kosacev, welcomes the organization of the Transnistrian referendum and the participation of international observers. He declared this at a briefing within the G8 Summit, which took place during July 15-17 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Russian official told that if Moscow will receive an invitation, it will send observers to Transnistria. “If the referendum will be organized transparently, democratically then its legitimacy must not be doubted” Kosacev declared, quoted by Russian press. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration did not comment for the moment upon these declarations. Tiraspol announced that the referendum on the statute and foreign policy of Transnistria will be organized on September 17. At a press conference, on Thursday, July 11, President Vladimir Voronin declared that Tiraspol intends to divert the attention from the region’s problems, mentioning that the situation in Transnistria has nothing in common with the one in Kosovo or Montenegro and can not be settled using similar mechanisms. European officials and representatives of international organizations declared as well that the outcomes of the referendum will not be recognized.