TRANSNISTRIA: RUSSIANS CONTINUE TO HOLD MOLDOVA

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 002593 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2016 TAGS: ETRD MARR PBTS PREL ML RS SUBJECT: TRANSNISTRIA: RUSSIANS CONTINUE TO HOLD MOLDOVA RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSNISTRIAN BLOCKADE REF: STATE 39764 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Kirk Augustine for reason 1 .4 (b, d). ¶1. (C) In the absence of Russian Envoy Valeriy Nesterushkin, we delivered reftel demarche on the situation in Transnistria on March 15 to MFA Second CIS Department Deputy Director (Moldova Office Director) Nikolay Fomin. Fomin rejected Transnistrian responsibility for blockading itself, claiming that it was a "foreseeable result" of the Moldovan-Ukrainian action. Fomin said that the GOR's main concern was the impending human catastrophe that would take place now that goods had stopped flowing into Transnistria from Ukraine. ¶2. (C) Fomin regretted that Nesterushkin had remained silent on this during the 5 2 negotiations. Claiming that the new customs arrangement was agreed "without consulting" Russia, he said Russia had "impolitely" not been included in the February 1 talks between Moldova and Ukraine on grounds that they concerned a customs arrangement between those two sovereign states. ¶3. (C) Fomin stressed that the only way to solve the conflict in Transnistria was through the multilateral political process. He claimed that a Moldovan law adopted in July 2005 forbade the Moldovans from discussing with the Transnistrians economic and trade issues such as the current customs impasse. Fomin rejected the idea that Russia could or should persuade Transnistria to take any steps with regard to customs, stressing that as an intermediary, Russia "had to avoid taking the part of one side against the other." He said Russia will continue to work with both parties "without any bias." BURNS