Russia may decide on pulling out arms from Transdniestria at some point - deputy minister
MOSCOW. July 30 (Interfax) - Russia does not plan to pull out tens of thousands of tonnes of munitions from Transdniestria so far, but a decision may be made in the future, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said in an interview published by the newspaper Kommersant on Monday.
"Such decisions cannot be made under pressure. The administrations of Transdniestria and Russia need to reach an agreement. The issue is being discussed. I think a solution is possible at some point," he said.
"It would be a wrong time to satisfy these aspirations now that they are trying to involve us in a discussion on the peacekeeping operation format," he added.
The diplomat gave an affirmative answer to the question whether the move of Moscow might send an incorrect message to the Transdniestrian settlement parties.
Karasin called on Moldovan authorities not to blame Russian peacekeepers for the lack of progress at the Tiraspol-Chisinau negotiations.
"We do not want Chisinau politicians to blame our peacekeepers for everything. It would be unfair and wrong to accuse Russia of the alleged impediment of progress by its peacekeepers," he said.
Progress at the negotiations primarily requires the invalidation of Law 2005 on the status of Transdniestria, he said.
"This law is outdated and I think Chisinau politicians will realize that some time later. How can one seriously speak about a special status of Transdniestria within the united federative or confederative republic of Moldova as long as the law, which nullifies such efforts, remains in force? This is absurd," the diplomat said.
Karasin refuted the opinion that Russia allegedly held to the existent format of the peacekeeping mission in Transdniestria because it wanted to preserve its military outpost.
"Foreign theories of Russia's alleged wish to have its outpost there are artificial. We have no such interest. We want a fair solution of the Transdniestrian problem," he said.
