MOLDOVAN AUTHORITIES BELIEVE TRANSDNIESTRIAN DECISION IS A VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

CHISINAU, JANUARY 6, 2004. (RIA Novosti correspondent Vladimir Novosadyuk) -- The decision of Transdniestrian administration (Dniester's left coast territory which, one the whole, is populated by Russians and which declared its "independence" from Chisinau in early 1990s) to regard as invalid, as of January 1st, 2004, all the documents issued by official Chisinau, is above all directed against the country's citizens. Re-integration minister of Moldova Vasile Sova said this on Tuesday.

According to him, the Transdniestrian leaders have taken a number of unilateral steps of late, which demonstrate their unwillingness to find a compromise in relations between the two sides.

The minister pointed out that all the initiatives of the Moldovan side to liven up the negotiations between Tiraspol (the administrative centre of the rebellious region) and Chisinau are not supported by Transdniestrian executives.

"But we are going to continue negotiations and hope for the early resumption of the work in the five-sided format," Sova stressed.

In accordance with the decree of Transdniestrian leader Igor Smirnov, as of January 1, 2004 all self-government bodies are banned to accept any documents, issued in Moldova, without re-registering them in Transdniestria. This concerns the educational diplomae, certificates of registration of civil status acts and real estate facilities.