Transdnestr settlement to create new dynamic in the old format.
Vlad Filat, Moldova's new prime minister, assured his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Moldova would enact a pragmatic policy towards Russia and would strictly fulfill all of its commitments. The two prime ministers met for the first time at the CIS summit in Yalta and discussed every aspect of bilateral relations, including the sensitive issue of Transdnestr.
Filat admitted later that emotions were running high when they discussed this issue. He said it was important that they eventually agreed that the talks on the Transdnestr settlement should make progress in the 5+2 format (Russia, Ukraine, OSCE, EU, the United States, Moldova and Transdnestr). Apparently, the discussion of the issue was made more emotional by previous statements the Moldovan prime minister made on the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers and weapons from Transdnestr and the complete change of the peacekeeping mission's format.
However, Filat said in Yalta that he could sense Putin's desire to grant Moldovan products access to the Russian market. Moreover, Moscow is still ready to give Chisinau a loan promised in the past. In the near future, the finance ministers of the two countries will discuss the necessary technical parameters.
Filat had this to say about his Russian counterpart: "Putin is very precise in his understanding of problems and he proceeds from his own vision rather than from the assumptions or opinions of other people." He observed that Putin was pragmatic and open towards Moldova, which is important for bilateral relations.
Filat's predecessor, Vasily Tarlev, told Gazeta that it is very important for the new government to build constructive relations with Russia because Moldova deeply depends on energy supplies and needs to sell its products on the Russian market. Tarlev recalled that Chisinau has a lot to gain from receiving a preferential loan from Russia for implementing infrastructure and investment projects. "The main point is to have the terms made explicit," he said.
Maxim Alexeyev