Moldova doesn't expect escalation after propaganda congress of so-called MPs of unrecognised Transnistria

, 28 February 2024, 15:02

The Moldovan government believes that the congress of the so-called lawmakers of the unrecognised breakaway state of Transnistria and its decisions do not pose a threat of escalation and destabilisation, calling the meeting a pure propaganda event.

"This event was planned by those on the left side of the Dniester River and the Kremlin. We see no danger of destabilisation. We are watching very closely and reiterating that this region also wants peace and security," Daniel Vodă, spokesman for the Moldovan government, said.

Vodă called the congress in Tiraspol (Transnistria’s capital) a pure propaganda event, "a meeting that does not deserve live broadcasts by foreign journalists and tense headlines."

He jokingly added that the only "tension" of the day on Wednesday was the gloomy weather, supposedly referring to the atmospheric pressure at the time.

The congress of the so-called MPs of the unrecognised breakaway state of Transnistria had just adopted an appeal to Russia asking for "protection from Moldova's pressure", also addressing a number of international organisations.

Before the congress, there were fears that the so-called MPs might urge Moscow to annex the unrecognised region to Russia, but official statements in Chișinău, Kyiv and Tiraspol denied such assumptions.

This congress is the seventh such event, with the previous one taking place in 2006. Back then, the so-called MPs decided to hold a referendum on joining Russia.

After the referendum, the Transnistrian "Central Election Commission" announced that more than 97% of Transnistrians supported the future merging of Transnistria with Russia. They also voted to preserve their "independence" until the accession to Russia took place. Local MPs still appeal to these "results".