No conditions for opening Russian consulates in Transdniestria - Moldovan foreign minister
CHISINAU. Nov 14 (Interfax) - Moldova has no objections to the opening of a Russian consulate in Tiraspol, but the necessary conditions have not yet been provided, Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iurie Leanca said.
"The Transdniestrian region is part of Moldova, and therefore, theoretically, there are no problems with the opening of consulates in Tiraspol. At the same time, it is necessary to meet a number or criteria, and there should be all the necessary conditions in place, including security guarantees. In our view, such conditions have not been provided so far," Leanca told journalists on Wednesday.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin will come to Chisinau on November 16 to take part in a meeting of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation.
"The meeting's agenda includes steps to promote Moldovan-Russian cooperation and attract investment," the minister said, declining to comment on Rogozin's declared intention to negotiate the opening of two Russian consulates in Tiraspol and Balti.
Rogozin had said earlier that the opening of such consulates would be the principal purpose of his visit to Chisinau and Tiraspol.
Moldovan media reported that Rogozin would spend most of his November 16-17 visit to Moldova in Transdniestria. Rogozin is supposed to visit Chisinau on November 16 and, immediately following a meeting of the intergovernmental commission that he co-chairs, he will go to Tiraspol to meet with the leadership of the self-proclaimed republic of Transdniestria. Rogozin, who is also the Russian presidential envoy for Transdniestria, will spend the night in Tiraspol and will visit a number of sites on Saturday, November 17. The Russian deputy prime minister, in particular, might visit an airfield in Tiraspol, which Russia plans to modernize. After this, Rogozin will go to the Chisinau airport and depart for Russia.
