Transdnestr president: “Integration with Russia is inalienable outcome of referendum”

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“Russia responds to Transdnestr residents’ will be real actions,” on October 11, Transdnestr President Igor Smirnov stated to the press in Tiraspol, after talks with a Russian delegation on Moldavian-Transdnestr settlement and Russian-Transdnestr mutual relations under new conditions were over, a REGNUM correspondent informs. “The visit of Russian delegation to Transdnestr itself is evidence of that,” the president continued. “We have clearly indicated our policy at referendum – to develop relations with Russia. I want to remind, Transdnestr has not left the Soviet Union; whose assignees are both our state and the Russian Federation. Before the referendum was conducted, the Zhukov-Smirnov protocol was signed. Today, we discussed its several articles, too. Integration into the Russian Federation is an inalienable outcome of the referendum. We will realize it, making joint efforts, because it is our people’s will. I would like to recommend to everybody not to prevent us on the track, although we have got used to obstacles.”

It is worth reminding, referendum on the republic’s status was conducted on September 17 in Transdnestr. According to final date, 78.6% of republican citizens, i.e. 310,169 residents, who might vote, participated in the referendum. Two questions were submitted for it:

“1. Do you support a policy for independence of the Transdnestr Moldavian Republic and further free Transdnestr joining the Russian Federation?

2. Do you think it is possible to abandon independence of the Transdnestr Moldavian Republic with further Transdnestr joining the Republic of Moldova?”

97.2% of Transdnestr residents voted for their republic’s independence and its further free joining Russia. Only 1.9% of citizens voted against it. 94.6% of residents voted against possible abandoning Transdnestr Moldavian Republic’s independence and its further joining the Republic of Moldova; 3.3% voted for it.