CHISINAU (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th July, 2020) Moldovan President Igor Dodon said Friday he would not agree to federalize the Eastern European country as a way of resolving the conflict with the breakaway region of Transnistria.
The narrow strip of land between the Dniester River and Ukraine is populated mostly by Ukrainians and Russians. It broke away from Moldova in 1992 after Chisinau unsuccessfully tried to regain control over the territory.
"Moldova's federalization... is out of the question. This is an impossible scenario for Transnistria because it won't be approved by both the East and the West. We need to find a compromise, have a public debate and suggest it to international partners, otherwise any solution may be blocked by the 5+2 format," Dodon said in a streamed address.
The 5+2 format brings together Moldova and Transnistria as two sides of the conflict, the OSCE, Russia and Ukraine as mediators, and the European Union and the United States as observers. The next talks are set for October 8-10.
Russia proposed in 2003 that Moldova be federalized to end the stalemate but then Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin rejected refused to sign a document to this effect for fear that it would lead to the recognition of Transnistria's independence.
