Russia intends to strengthen its control over Transnistria (read: over Moldova and Ukraine)
Chişinău / Moldova.ORG / -- While there are discussions about the "5+2" negotiations over the Transnistrian conflict, life goes on, and so the political life inside Transnistria, Moldova’s enclave on its eastern border with Ukraine that is supported by the Russian Federation.
According to some sources, recently, Gennady Abashkin, head of the Russian Gazprom’s branch in the Republic of Moldova, got the Transnistrian citizenship.
Abashkin, born October 25, 1964, graduated from the Chisinau Polytechnic Institute in 1986, majoring in automation and remote control. From 2001 to 2002 he was a member of the Moldovagaz Board, a joint venture of Gazprom in Moldova that deals with distribution of gas.
In September of 2002, Abashkin became a deputy Chairman of the joint-stock company Moldovagaz’s Board. From December 2002 to August 2008 Abashkin was a Chairman of the JSC Moldovagaz Board, later, head of the Gazprom office in Chisinau.
Recently, the Transnistrian legislature adopted amendments in the local Constitution, which will change the way the enclave is governed. Thus, the head of the enclave will no longer be the president (who, since 1991, is Igor Smirnov, a Russian citizen), but a prime minister. The so-called Transnisntian citizenship is a must if someone wants to hold public office such as of prime minister. It does not matter that Abashkin got a citizenship of an unrecognized state with citizens holding unrecognized passports. Geopolitics and business is all that matter.
Talking heads, with or without links to the Kremlin or/and Tiraspol, have earlier discussed that for such an important position in Transnistria as prime minister, the powers that be would likely "invite" an outsider with extensive experience in “managing a serious company” and with “strong relations with the Russian Federation”. Abashkin is a perfect candidate for it.
There is also an assumption that the role of the future prime minister of Moldova’s separatist region, Transnistria, would be to exercise control over financial flows in and out Transnistria, referring to the recent announcement that from next year there will be signed contracts by Gazprom to supply natural gas to Transnistria, separately from Moldova, as it is the case today.
Any of these scenarios has one main meaning for Russia -- to control the political and economic life of Transnistria, thus, keeping Moldova in check and, indirectly, keeping control over Ukraine’s western border.
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