Moldova's rebel region leader asks for more Russian peacekeepers, helicopters
The president of Moldova's breakaway Dniester region, Igor Smirnov, has advocated the consolidation of the military strength of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in the region at a recent meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Foreign Minister Yuriy Zubakov.
The Dniester side has repeatedly asked that the number of Russian peacekeepers is increased as much as possible, Igor Smirnov told a news conference in Tiraspol on 17 February.
"The Russian Foreign Ministry assured us that the peacekeeping process would continue in line with the statement signed on 18 March 2009. I mean, no statement by the Moldovan leadership concerning the change of the peacekeeping format will work," Smirnov said.
He recalled that according to the agreement signed in Odessa (Ukraine) in 1998, the maximum number of Russian peacekeepers was to be 2,400. Presently, he said, about 500 Russian peacekeepers participate in the peacekeeping operation.
Smirnov noted that the Dniester region insisted that the helicopter squadron return to the Russian peacekeeping contingent.
"I want to say that this issue is being considered very seriously since Russia has been clearly asking for data on our facilities," Smirnov said.
Referring to the possibility of extending not only the Russian peacekeeping contingent, but also Russia's military presence in the Dniester region, Smirnov said that Tiraspol has long ago agreed to this.
"The law on the presence of Russian troops in the Dniester Moldovan republic from 15 February 1992 was adopted. Therefore, as a matter of fact, there is no need to ask whether Russian troops can be based here, because we have a law on the deployment of Russian troops. We have the results of the referendum from 17 September 2006 [when most Dniester residents voted for independence from Moldova and subsequent accession to Russia]. The presence of Russian troops has no other goal but the preservation of peace," Smirnov said.
Interfax-Ukraine news agency (original text - in Russian)
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