 The Russian-speaking region of Transdniestr broke away from Romanian-speaking Moldova in a war in the early 1990s but is not internationally recognised. |
The leader of Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestr on Monday said he was prepared to host Russian missiles if the Kremlin wanted to counter planned US missile facilities. "We are not against the presence of Russian troops with standard and any other weapons on our territory," Igor Smirnov said in response to a question whether his region was ready to host Russian missiles.
"We have long said we are ready, we've asked to leave Russia's military presence (in Transdniestr) for good," Smirnov told a news conference in Moscow. The Russian-speaking region of Transdniestr broke away from Romanian-speaking Moldova in a war in the early 1990s but is not internationally recognised.
It hosts a contingent of Russian troops and a Soviet-era arms dump. Over 120,000 Transdniestr residents hold Russian passports.
A report in the Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily said that such a move to host weapons would provide a counterbalance to Romania's recent plans to host part of a new US missile shield system.
The newspaper said Smirnov had already discussed that possibility with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Smirnov confirmed his February 9 meeting with Lavrov to reporters but said he had not asked the Kremlin to station missiles in the region.
He expressed concern over Romania's plans to host medium-range ballistic missile interceptors as part of the US system, expected to be operational by 2015, saying that decision was not conducive to stability.
"I don't think it would be a stabilising factor," Smirnov said. "We are very closely
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