TRANSNISTRIA TO HOLD FORUM TO REAFFIRM ITS LOVE FOR RUSSIA

"A Future Together with Russia" is the name of the next week's forum being prepared in Tiraspol by the government of the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (PMR).

In his interview with the Russia-24 news and analytical television channel, Transnistria president Vadim Krasnoselsky said that by its very essence, the Tiraspol forum will become the continuation of the regional referendum of 2006, "when the people of Transnistria voted nearly unanimously [97%] for Transnistria's independence of Moldova and, subsequently, for the region's free accession to the Russian Federation".

"Russia for us is an ally, and a negotiator, and a guarantor of our relations with Moldova, and indeed our economic partner. We have a multi-vector interaction. But first of all this is our political cooperation: Russia is a guarantor of our negotiations with Moldova, and is remaining our strategic military partner. In Transnistria, Russia is carrying out a peacekeeping mission, ensuring peace on the Transnistrian land", said Vadim Krasnoselsky with a feeling of profound gratitude.

The Tiraspol leader pointed out the cultural-humanitarian cooperation between Russia and Transnistria, in particular in the education field because the PMR seeks to harmonize the education standards "of our two states".

Krasnoselsky believes Transnistria presents interest for Russia from the economic cooperation viewpoint.

"Unfortunately, our economic relations have shrunk a little over last few years, and our exports to Russia have diminished. But we are energetically rehabilitating the bilateral cooperation. Compared with 2016, last year our exports to Russia soared 52%. And upon the whole, Transnistria runs trade with 91 countries. We have an excellent export potential. We have serious heavy, metal-processing and light industries, and quite good enterprises of the agri-industrial complex. All this presents interest for Russia. I hope the Tiraspol forum will use this opportunity and will demonstrate the interest Transnistria presents for the Russian Federation", said Vadim Krasnoselsky.

According to the Transnistrian official statistics, Russia is remaining the region's main trade partner accounting for 25% of Transnistria's aggregate trade. In 2017, however, the trade turnover diminished by nearly 10% - down to US$420 million, but Transnistria built up its exports to Russia by 44% -- up to US$66.2 million, while imports from Russia dropped by 15% -- down to US$353.7 million.