Transnistrian Peacekeeping Mission Could Transform After Political Deal

The Transnistria peacekeeping mission could be dealt with in case of political agreements between parties included, Russian Foreign Ministry Special Envoy Sergei Gubarev said Thursday.

CHISINAU (Sputnik) — The peacekeeping mission in the self-proclaimed republic of Transnistria could be transformed if parties to the conflict come to political agreements, Russian Foreign Ministry Special Envoy Sergei Gubarev said Thursday.

The region striving for its independence from Moldova is currently secured by peacekeeping forces from Russia, Moldova and Transnistria.

"The issue of transformation… of the peacekeeping operation will inevitably come up. But I think that [it will be possible] only when the sides come to real political agreements," Gubarev said during a video conference at Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency.

He added that the deal on a special status of Transnistria could be reached only by dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol since the conflict settlement requires common vision of the situation of the both sides to the conflict.

Transnistria, a region dominated by an ethnically Russian and Ukrainian population, broke away from the Soviet Republic of Moldova in 1990, fearing the country might seek to reunify with neighboring Romania. The move triggered a war that ended in a ceasefire in July 1992, but the conflict has remained unresolved.