TIRASPOL. Aug 3 (Interfax) - The Transdniestrian foreign ministry has condemned the Moldovan government's decision to declare Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who co-chairs a Russian-Moldovan intergovernmental commission and is the Russian president's special envoy for Transdniestria, a persona non grata.
"We regard such a destructive step as the demonstrative political defiance of Russia and the Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic. We are convinced that this demarche is yet another proof of Chisinau's strategy towards deliberately escalating tension, exacerbating the situation in the dialogue with Transdniestria, and total ousting of Russia from the entire regional space," the ministry said in a statement.
"The foreign ministry of the Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic notes with alarm the deliberate increase of confrontation around the Moldovan-Transdniestrian conflict," the statement says.
"There is no doubt that the demonstrative nature of the Moldovan decision proves Chisinau's commitment to use methods of pressure, sanctions and blockades, attests to the categorical reluctance of the Moldovan leadership to build civilized forms of cooperation with Russia and Transdniestria across the whole spectrum of topical issues," the ministry said.
"Transdniestria will continue making every effort to strengthen and develop the strategic partnership with Russia, and to protect the rights and interests of all Transdniestrians, including over 200,000 Russian citizens and hundreds of thousands of compatriots living in the republic," the statement says.
In light of the latest developments, the ministry urged international partners "to focus close attention on the processes evolving around Transdniestria with a view to elaborating measures to counter such destructive steps to prevent further escalation of tension."