​RUSSIA SHALL NOT LET BREAKDOWN OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN TRANSNISTRIA – DUMA DEPUTY

Russia shall not permit to upset the November 2015 parliamentary elections in Transnistria and shall not let external forces to interfere, Sergey Gavrilov, Chairman of the Russian State Duma [parliament] Standing Committee for Property Issues and the coordinator of the inter-faction group for interaction with Transnistria, stated in his interview with Parlamentskaya Gazeta of Moscow upon his return from Tiraspol.

The Russian lawmaker stressed that the time of manipulating the situation in Transnistria by the comprador oligarchs and secret services of other countries has gone.

“Transnistria has built an effective and successful model of a parliamentary democracy – largely thanks to harmonization of its legislation with the Russian one. Previously, Transnistria’s neighboring countries considered themselves to be mighty and independent. Presently, they are in fact losing their sovereignty. These are Ukraine and Moldova and, partly, Romania that have surrendered to external governance by the United States. But Transnistria, on the contrary, demonstrates firmness and independence”, believes Sergey Gavrilov.

In his words, the level of social stability in Transnistria is much higher than in Moldova and Ukraine, including largely thanks to Russia’s assistance and a competent monetary policy waged by the Tiraspol authorities headed by president Yevgeny Shevchuk.

“The Russian authorities and our parliament keep backing Transnistria. In particular, the Russian Federation will continue paying pensions to Transnistria residents, supplying school textbooks, helping to build social infrastructure – hospitals, kindergartens and so forth. School certificates and the diplomas of Tiraspol University are recognized in Russia. This is very important for those young people who come to our country for jobs. Russia will be further helping Transnistria to develop its economy sectors (for instance, through the mechanisms of the ‘state defense order’ and state purchasing) and in creating logistic centers to process and deliver farm produce from Transnistria and Moldova over to Russia with low transaction expenditures”, said the parliamentarian.

Sergey Gavrilov is convinced that the EU-Moldova Association Agreement will not be an obstacle to this.

“Citizens of Moldova, unlike their authorities, are demonstrating in various ways that they are interested in a closest cooperation with Russia. The recent elections in Gagauzia were a convincing proof to this. So, transit questions shall be resolved, I am sure. I think that in the future it will be possible to choose the way of regional integration of Transnistria, Moldova and the Odessa oblast [region] of Ukraine according to the model of a Euro-region”, said the Russian deputy.

Touching on his visiting Chisinau, Sergey Gavrilov said that he was welcomed in the Moldovan capital “in a definitely not hostile manner”.

“The first thing that strikes one’s eye is a contrast seen in people’s moods. Assistance from the European Union, which forced the Moldovan Parliament to pass a whole number of laws, cannot be felt or seen in whatever way. The general situation is aggravated by the fact that the authorities appeared to be involved in the scandal with the removal of US$1 billion abroad – a sum gigantic for Moldova. But the country’s constructive political forces are ready for cooperation”, said the Russian parliamentarian.