Russia says no to early pull-out from Moldova region

Russia told Moldova's new western-leaning leadership yesterday that it would not pull its troops out of the breakaway Transdniestria region until a peace deal with separatists was in place there.

Moldova has said it would use a summit of presidents of the Commonwealth of Independent States, opening in the Moldovan capital Chisinau today, to press Russia to withdraw its soldiers from Transdniestria.

Moscow has a peacekeeping force of around 1,200 soldiers stationed since 1992 in the rebel territory, a mainly Russian-speaking sliver of land bordering Ukraine.

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking after a meeting of CIS foreign ministers, told reporters this should take place only in the context of a 2003 Russian proposal.

The so-called Kozak memorandum foresaw an "assymetrical federation" between Moldova and Transdniestria, giving the latter strong autonomy rights and right to secede if Moldova merged with Romania, its neighbour with which it shares a common historic and linguistic heritage.

But Moldova's then communist President Vladimir Voronin refused to sign the memorandum. Mr Voronin stood down last month after losing a parliamentary election in July to pro-European parties, potentially moving the small nation away from Russia.

"Our military contingent is in Transdniestria... because we guard huge stocks of weaponry, the withdrawal of which was suspended because the former leadership of Moldova wrecked the Kozak memorandum," Mr Lavrov said.

In the past few years Russian officials preferred not to revive the memories of the failed "Kozak memorandum", seen as one of Moscow's most humilitating defeats.

Then Russian president Vladimir Putin, and Dmitry Medvedev who succeeded him in 2008, have said they would accept any deal Transdniestria and Chisinau could reach.

Moldova wants to install an international peacekeeping force in the rebel region of 600,000 people.

Russia, Moldova and Transdniestria agreed in March that an international force could replace Russian peacekeepers once a peace deal is reached, but there is no sign of a breakthrough on an accord.

Transdniestria broke away from Moldova in 1990, fearing it would unite with neighbouring Romania. That never happened, but the region continues to insist on independence.