Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Moldova blocks Russian plan to expand presence in rebel enclave
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 18 - 11 - 2012

CHISINAU — Moldova is blocking moves by Russia to expand its formal presence in the separatist Moldovan region of Transdniestria until Moscow pulls out its 2,500 troops and an end is negotiated to a 20-year-old dispute over the territory.
Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti turned down a Russian proposal to open a consulate in the rebel enclave after an envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Moldova's energy policy and its rapprochement with the European Union. The small former Soviet republic of 3.5 million, one of Europe's poorest countries, is heavily in debt to Moscow for cheap gas imports that help keep its economy afloat.
But, with an eye to future possible membership of the European Union, it has also decided to join Europe's energy pact and adopt European energy liberalization measures, something which Moscow opposes.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, returned to this theme during a trip to Moldova on Friday, urging the country's pro-Europe government to pull back from the EU's so-called Third Energy Package. This agreement would clip the wings of Russian gas giant Gazprom by imposing limits on the ownership of EU pipeline infrastructure by gas suppliers and calling for the “unbundling" of over-concentrated ownership.
Rogozin also said he had agreed in principle with the Moldovan government to open a general consulate in Transdniestria, an internationally-unrecognized separatist region of Moldova which broke with the central government after a brief war in 1992. But this was over-ruled almost immediately by Timofti, a jurist who was elected president of Moldova in March.
“Moldova will not give its agreement to Russia to open its general consulate in Tiraspol until the Russian army has been withdrawn from Transdniestria and the Transdniestrian problem has been resolved," Timofti told journalists.
Moldovan authorities fear allowing Russia a full consulate in Transdniestria would be a step towards Moscow recognizing the territory's self-declared independence.
Russia, for its part, appears to be using the issue of cheap gas to secure concessions from Moldova whose pro-West push is not to Moscow's liking. — Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.