CHISINAU. June 19 (Interfax) - While the draft resolution on the withdrawal of Russian troops from Moldova that the UN General Assembly will consider on June 22 is important, it is unlikely to be passed, Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Iurie Leanca said.
"It should be understood that the UN resolution has a symbolic nature, but symbols play a very important role in international relations," Leanca said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Even if this resolution were adopted, "it would be unreasonable to expect immediate movements in this region [Transdniestria] and the withdrawal of weapons and those who guard them," he said.
"The countries of the Euro-Atlantic region will support us, but it's impossible to predict the outcome of the vote [at the UN], as there are not very many Western countries. I asked my counterparts from other countries to help consolidate support from African, South American, and Asian countries," Leanca said.
"Russia has quite a lot of friends, so it will try to obstruct the passage of the resolution during the vote at the UN," he said.
"The draft resolution doesn't have anything anti-Russian. This is just an attempt to point out that military presence in Moldova's territory violates the basic principles of international law," Leanca said.
Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Tudor Ulianovschi said last week that the UN General Assembly would consider a draft resolution called "Complete withdrawal of foreign military forces from the territory of the Republic of Moldova" on June 22.
Moldovan President Igor Dodon denounced the government's decision to put forward the draft resolution in a statement posted on the presidential website on Tuesday.