CHISINAU. March 1 (Interfax) - Tiraspol says it sees no sign of preparations for hostilities in the security zone in Transdniestria.
"We are fully in control of the situation. [...] We closely analyze the information coming from mass media, communication with the heads of administrations, the population of those areas, and law enforcement agencies, as well as the information about the situation in military units. There is no sign of preparations of Moldova or Transdniestria for hostilities. There is no escalation of tensions in the security zone as a whole," Transdniestrian co-chair of the Joint Control Commission Oleg Belyakov said.
Transdniestrian leader Vadim Krasnoselsky urged the Transdniestrian population on Tuesday to stay calm and not to panic.
Meanwhile, the Transdniestrian peacekeeping forces have announced the beginning of a three-month military training period. The peacekeeping contingent of the Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic is continuing to accept applications for the new period of military training, which starts on March 1, the statement published on the agency's website on February 28 said. Men eligible for military service, who are younger than 55, can take part in the scheduled training, it said.
The Joint Control Commission (JCC) is the coordinating body of the security zone. It is in control of the trilateral peacekeeping forces of Moldova, Russia and Transdniestria. The JCC was established consistent with the Moldovan-Russian agreement on the principles of ending the armed conflict in Transdniestria of July 21, 1992. Peacekeepers were deployed to the region in line with the document. Currently, they comprise 350-400 troops from Moldova, Russia and Transdniestria each.