MOSCOW, May 21 (RIA Novosti) - Full-fledged dialogue between Moldova and Transdnestr is unlikely to resume, the foreign minister of the unrecognized Moldovan republic told a round table in Moscow on Thursday.
"Politically, there is actually little chance of dialogue, aimed at reconciling ties between Transdnestr and Moldova, being fully resumed. In many respects, this is connected with the external factors - that none of the outside participants is interested in the Republic of Moldova having a strong statehood," Vladimir Yastrebchak said.
The Russian-speaking province of Transdnestr has maintained de facto independence from Moldova since a brief war in 1992, which was the culmination of tensions following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Russia has had peacekeepers in the region since July 1992, and the negotiation process has been frozen since February 2006.
Speaking about the external factors, the minister explained that the main players are Russia and the European Union.
"We are observing rivalry in approaches, in views. First of all, these are the Russian Federation and the EU," he said, adding that the influence of Ukraine and the United States has been "indirect up to now."
Yastrebchak said the only area where Tiraspol and Chisinau could work jointly at this stage would be in resolving social and economic problems and in law enforcement cooperation.
But the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large, Valery Nesterushkin, said he was optimistic that a settlement to the Transdnestr issue can be reached.
"Proceeding from my post, I should be an optimist. Naturally, there are prospects for a settlement, but much depends on a whole set of circumstances, political will and the readiness by not only the leaders of both sides, but the general public for a stable, viable settlement option to be reached," the diplomat told journalists in Moscow.
He said it was important for a settlement to the Transdnestr issue, that Moldova forms government institutions, adding the failure by Moldova's parliament to elect a president on May 20 by a single vote was preventing the process from going ahead.
Moldova's parliament postponed the vote until May 28. If a president is not elected, then parliament will be dissolved and a new general election called.
