REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

DEVOTED TO THE 12^TH ANNIVERSARY OF FOUNDATION

OF THE Dniester Moldavian Republic

Tiraspol

The Palace of Republic

Solemn sitting on September 1^st 2002

Dear Dniestrians,

Dear guests of our holiday,

Each year, celebrating its anniversary of foundation of the Dniester Moldavian Republic, we recall the events of early 90s of the already passed century, and every time we try to find the explanation of processes that occurred in the 1/6 part of our planet and concerned fates of every former citizen of the Great Country.

That day 12 years ago in Tiraspol, the Congress of All-level deputies of Dniestria proclaimed foundation of the Dniester Moldavian Republic. That basing act in history of our state was a concentrated expression of will of the Dniestrian people, announced on referendums and meetings of the citizens, was in response to threat of forced Romanization and discrimination by the ethnic feature, to process of collapse of the Soviet Union, to ignoring of opinion of the Dniestrian population by the Moldavian authority. 1990 – the year that gets farther and farther in history, the overwhelming majority of Dniestrians said ‘No!’ to national-chauvinism, ‘No!’ to disorder and chaos, ‘No!’ to dictate and discrimination, ‘No!’ to Romanization of Dniestria! ‘Yes!’ to the Republic, ‘Yes!’ to democracy, ‘Yes!’ to centuries-old traditions of our predecessors.

In the contemporary world history, foundation of the Dniester Moldavian Republic may serve an example of really democratic process of founding new states in strict conformity with international norms and rules. In process of its foundation, opinion of each Dniestrian was considered, of inhabitant of each even the smallest living area that wished to join the Dniester Moldavian Republic.

Sometimes the Dniester Moldavian Republic is called an auto-proclaimed state. But what else can states be?! Who else can possess the right to decide, whether the state should be or not, if not the people itself that proclaimed, defended, and suffered out his right to live in this land!

12 years are a short instant for the history. But for Dniestrians, every lived year was a test for firmness and living ability of our Republic, was filled not only with hard work, and fight for survival but also with anxiety and care of keeping their state. And every new Anniversary of foundation of the Dniester Moldavian Republic is the most persuasive proof of right of the Dniestrian people for their statehood.

We have had to undergo also the most terrifying test the war of 1992. In March 2002, Dniestrians marked the sorrowful date – 10^th Anniversary since the beginning of military aggression, inflicted by the pro-Romanian nationalists of Moldova against the peaceful population of Dniestria. We kept the freedom and independence of the Dniester Moldavian Republic by price of hundreds of sons and daughters of Dniestria, volunteers from Russia and the Ukraine.

I would like you to commemorate our martyrs.

Thank you.

Today when we recall tragic events happened 10 years ago, when hearts of each of us is filled with sorrow about thousands of murdered, wounded, and homeless people, more sharply feel responsibility for maintaining peace and calm in our land. We strongly believe that lessons of past will not be forgotten, and the present generation of state leaders of Moldova will always remember them.

Celebrating the 12^th Anniversary of foundation of our state, every participant of creation of the Dniester Moldavian Republic recall dramatic and tensed events of those days, remembering the most bright and tragic of them. And they are workers of all enterprises, organizations, and agriculture, benefactors of science and culture, members of public associations, representatives of the elder generation – people of more than a hundred nationalities whose proud and honorable name is ‘Dniestrians’.

Every time, at this hour, during many years, we have been asking a question to ourselves: did we act correctly, having created a state, are there justified the pain, suffering, and privations that accompanied us every day, on every stage of foundation and enforcement of our statehood?

In order to answer this question, we always appeal to events of those days, we recall and analyze a number of events and realities, where the Dniester Moldavian Republic was being founded and maintained.

In 1989, under mottoes of democratization and perestroika, national revival, power in the former Moldavian actually passed to pro-Romanian nationalist forces, united into the People’s Front of Moldova. New pseudo-democrats have found a very simple way of resolving social-economic and national problems: to get rid of all ‘aliens and invaders’, who together with the indigenous population had been recovering the ruined economy of the Moldavian Republic for dozens of years. An accessible and efficient instrument has been chosen for that: the Romanian language as the single state one. The law about functioning of languages adopted by the Moldavian SSR Supreme Council had regulations that let discriminate non-Moldavian-speaking citizens on basis of language feature, it was made in purpose of removing them from all living domains, and Moldavians were deprived the right for their history and ethnicity, for traditional Cyrillic alphabet.

Neither numerous appeals of working collectives, nor letters of citizens, nor appeals of the whole towns and living areas to all even highest instances made any effect. The working collectives of Dniestria, Gagauzia, and the main part of the Moldavian SSR responded to the threat of discrimination with mass strikes. But even then our voices were not heard, though we wanted and demanded little: to create and work, to watch the future with sureness, to be calm for future of our children and grand-children, to have the right of speaking our native language.

The people’s diplomacy of Dniestrians, numerous delegations of working collectives faced indifference and irresponsibility of Kishinev and Moscow state dignitaries, and party functionaries. Instead of understanding and helping us, they accused us of misunderstanding objectives of the perestroika and ideas of democracy; they put on us labels of conservative and anti-perestroika forces.

Earlier than anywhere throughout the former Soviet Union we were forced to disillusion, and already that time we understood that only we were able to defend and provide our future!

Betraying and untalented activity of the Communist party highest authority on the local, republican, and all-Union levels let the pro-Romanian forces in Moldavia pass from language problems to resolution of internal political and geopolitical issues. Because of connivance of the authorities, outrages and pogroms in streets of Kishinev became normal, demonstration of force and seriousness of intentions of the PFM.

In 1989-1990, the PFM adepts began claiming for secession from the USSR. Initially, it was explained by intention towards sovereignty and independence, but indeed the final goal of that process was unification with Romania together with territories of Northern Bucovina and Southern Bessarabia. A bit later realization of those ideas became the main point of the Kishinev nationalists political program.

In 1990, the PFM ideology moved from streets and squares into the building of the new-elect Parliament and started being realized in laws. Romanian national symbols changed the Moldavian ones. The Romanian flag was raised above the Parliament building. Population of Moldavia was waking up with the Romanian anthem, the very notion – Moldavian, the Moldavian language – were removed from all domains of life in legislative way. Apogee of legislative activity of the Moldavian parliamentarians was proclamation of illegal foundation of the state they represented. The official Bucharest was not a side-observer, an later during the war of 1992, the role of Romania in those processes was quite evidently reflected.

The official policy of Kishinev reminded the Dniestria people of bloody actions during the Romanian-Fascist invasion, robbery, exiles and prosecutions on basis of national feature.

In conditions of started collapse of the USSR, paralysis of power, inability of party and state bodies to influent upon processes, the Kishinev and Bucharest politicians got a possibility to revenge for defeat in 1940 and 1945. The real threat of forced Romanization and gradual annexation towards the geopolitically and ethnically alien state was imminent over Dniestria.

This made the people of Dniestria and, first of all, the elder generation remembers that Dniestria had had its statehood within the Ukraine – the Moldavian Autonomous SSR. In 1940, because of geopolitical reasons, and by a willed decision, the territory of Dniestria was given to the new-formed Moldavian SSR. That time no one asked the population of the Autonomous republic, whether he agreed to join the new state formation?

Under pressure of events, the idea of recreating statehood of Dniestria was born not in heads of Dniestrian leaders or in the Kremlin, as our enemies used to think, but in people’s masses.

For the first time, we had to appeal to it as to one of the variants of defending our rights, after having finished the long-time strike in autumn of 1989. Kishinev and the Kremlin authorities fulfilled none of our requirements. On the contrary, the flywheel of Kishinev national-chauvinism was untwisted stronger and stronger.

As far as on December 3^rd 1989, in the town of Rybnitsa and Rybnitsa district, there was held the first referendum on joining the Dniestrian autonomy in case of its foundation. The citizens of Rybnitsa demonstrated unbelievable activity for Soviet times. The overwhelming majority of inhabitants of Moldavian, Ukrainian, and Russian villages took part in the referendum. All other towns and districts of Dniestria followed them. That time Dniestria had no own mass media. But their absence was fully ‘compensated’ by malicious official chauvinist propaganda from Kishinev and the one that was condemning us – from Moscow. At elections to the new Moldavian parliament, those candidates, who voted for revival of the Dniestrian statehood in their electoral programs, were mainly elect as deputies.

But also these symptoms of deep split were not percept seriously in Moscow and Kishinev. There they did not want to notice the growing centrifuge pro-Romanian tendencies in Moldavia.

Attempts of the Supreme Council deputies from Dniestria to achieve consideration of their electors’ opinions totally failed. Our votes, expectations of our electors were ignored. On the contrary, humiliation of Dniestrian and Gagauz deputies within the Supreme Council building and using physical force outside it became common practice in the ‘Parliament in the Center of the Europe’. Evidently, the politicians stupefied by idea of revival of the Great Romania and national supremacy did not realize that every offense of deputies, full ignoring of their opinions was an offense for thousands of Dniestrian electors. And already by summer of 1990, in the working collectives and districts, there had been held meetings of citizens, where it had been decided to offer the deputies to leave the Supreme Council and begin realizing results of the referendums on foundation of the Dniestrian statehood.

In response to intention of Dniestrians and Gagauz to protect their rights, Kishinev organized invasion of its volunteers to Komrat in October 1990, treacherous invasion and shooting of weaponless workers in Dubossary in November of the same year, arrests and penal prosecution of all-level deputies in August 1991, repeated invasion of police forces and a month blockade of Dubossary in September 1991, attack of military and police formations at Dubossary and the first military collision in December 1991, large-scaled military aggression from March till August 1992. Terrorist acts against peaceful citizens, destruction of economic objects, brutal murders of the MSSR Supreme Council deputy N. Ostapenko and the workers’ movement leader A. Gusar. I emphasize: during the whole period of counteraction all those events have been taking place in the territory of Dniestria and never in Moldova.

Dear Dniestrians, today, before our main holiday I am appealing to lessons of our short but brilliant history. Years later they have not lost their actuality. In these lessons we should look for origins of our approaches to the problem of resolution, search our views for future regarding relations with the Republic of Moldova. I hope that these lessons will be a response for the transoceanic politicians and for someone closer: is it possible to reach comprehensive settlement of relationship with Moldova by means of liquidating statehood of Dniestria? Do we have the right for irresponsible and hurried decisions of such important issues, behind which there stay fates of hundreds of thousands people, peace and stability in one of the most tensed regions of the Europe? I’ll answer it: “No, and once again NO!”

On all stages of foundation and enforcement of the Dniester Moldavian Republic, the state- construction was one of the most important matters. In its ideological basis we have put:

Equality of people of all nationalities, equal-right functioning of the Moldavian language on basis of the Cyrillic alphabet, as well as the Ukrainian and Russian languages; priority of human rights; keeping of traditional and integration contacts, spiritual and cultural values; equality of all forms of property; adoption of the most important state decisions on basis of people-wide referendums.

Legislative fixation of those principles provided interethnic peace and accord, internal political stability in Dniestria, high political and civil activity of the population let us keep high-qualified people and intellectual potentialities.

For 12 years, Dniestria has passed the way from few separated administration units of the former Moldavian SSR to a united, contemporary, and democratic state in form of Republic possessing all attributes and institutes of power. Priorities of state construction were determined not as a tribute to fashion or as someone’s caprice, but basing on actual needs and objectives that were dictated by internal and external circumstances.

In November 1990, the first Supreme Council was elect and foundation of legislative basis of state started. The supreme executive bodies of power are being formed. In 1991, the new Constitution of the Dniestrian state was adopted, the nation-wide elections of the President and the referendum on independence of the DMR were held, the law-keeping and judicial bodies have voluntarily passed under jurisdiction of Dniestria, formation of the Armed Forces of the Republic started. In 1994, the proper currency unit of the Dniester Moldavian Republic was introduced. During the whole passed period, the state-construction has not been interrupted and has been regularly adapting to external and internal factors.

In 2002, the Supreme Council of the Dniester Moldavian Republic formed the supreme body of judicial power – the Constitutional Court and thus marked the end of process of the state construction.

Provision of all aspects of state security, enforcement of the constitutional system, development of economy and improvement of welfare of the population are the main criteria of state constructing. By appreciation of foreign experts, who are not likely to have sympathy towards the Dniester Moldavian Republic, in the present time Dniestria is a self-sufficient and effectively governed territory.

For recent 12 years, development of economy of the Dniester Moldavian Republic have been passing in very hard conditions, typical for all states of the CIS states during the period of transition from the planned economy to the market one. Situation in our republic has been especially worsened by economic and political blockades that caused additional negative tendencies in the social-economic development.

At the beginning of economy’s construction of the republic through certain reforms, the attempts to stabilize economic situation in enterprises and branches of production have not given expected results that’s why for recent years we have become approaching those matters in a more balanced and systemic way.

For all that, structural reconstructing of economy and its management, rational combination of different forms of property, creation of market infrastructure, perfecting of fiscal, budget, monetary, credit, and prices policy were the main directions of reforming and developing of economy.

At the same time, break-up of economic relations, enforcing custom barriers in the CIS countries, lack of credits and investments, accumulated disproportion were the factors that impeded positive changes. Dependence on raw material and energy, high competition on markets put enterprises of the republic into unequal conditions, which caused reduction of volumes of production, worsening of their financial situation, growth of mutual non-payments, and as consequence, reduction of budget incomes.

But in spite of that, in 2001, the GDP volume extended every-year indicators of the latest five years. For all that, considerable changes are being marked in its structure. If the goods’ production prevailed before, in the present time the domain of services became the first one by its significance. Such traffic of resources into the domain of services contributes to progressive structural changes, typical for countries with dynamically developing economy.

For the first time after the crisis of 1998, the majority of organizations have been working with profit. Generally, during 2001, economy of the republic received profit of 244,7 million rubles (approx. $37.4 million – note of the translator). The number of non-working enterprises has reduced, - in comparison of level of 1996, for 11 units. The number of people engaged in enterprises and business has increased.

General situation in the economy predetermined conditions and main directions of activity of the banking system of the republic. After introduction of its own currency unit in 1994, the Dniester Moldavian Republic, which had already had all attributes of an independent sovereign state by then, acquired one of the essential elements of financial independence – its own currency.

In its creation, the monetary and credit policy has undergone no fewer cataclysms, than the whole economy. We have passed a difficult way from hyperinflation to financial stability, and today the moderate dynamics of the Dniestrian ruble exchange rate represents the main factor of stabilizing the situation in the internal market. The monetary and credit policy flexibly reacts at changes of the real demand for money, satisfying the economy with financial means in necessary volumes, stimulates its sustenance on the proper level, reduction of percentage rates, inflation expectations, and tempos of inflation.

In 2000, in the Republic, there were made steps for reforming the budget-fiscal system, that included cancellation of five taxes and their change for the joint tax on the sales volumes, that contributed to simplification of taxes discount, reduction of the tax burden, stimulating of developing the branches of economy.

Unite social tax has been also introduced instead of three types of payment. After introduction of unite social tax regressive scale, the tax burden of organizations is being reduced.

Boundaries of states appeared in the post-Soviet space every day become bigger and bigger obstacles on the way of our goods to traditional sellers’ markets of Russia, the Ukraine, and the Republic of Byelorussia.

Development of economy of those countries, their raises and fallings (and the latter were far more numerous) also negatively influenced upon the situation in external economic activity of our enterprises, and one should always remember that the republican economy to big extent is oriented for import of raw materials and for export of ready production.

For all that, in 2001, we managed to stabilize the foreign trade volume of the republic that reached indicators of the relatively successful 1998 and consisted almost $1 billion.

In spite of all difficulties, economic agents of the gradually search and find the ways for exporting our production, arrange direct co-operation contacts with foreign enterprises, enlarge the sphere of export to other countries.

Our local bodies of power have activated their work with cities and regions of the CIS countries and far abroad. Lately the cities of Moscow and Tiraspol have signed the agreement on co-operation. It’s important that agreements on co-operation with Odessa and Vinnitsa regions of the Ukraine should be accomplished in practice. Such measures will allow reducing the damage of the economic aggression of the Republic of Moldova.

Industry is the basis of economic complex of Dniestria: in 1990s, industrial branches gave 45-57% of the GDP. Main indicators of the industrial production during 1990-2000 testify about availability of significant regressive tendencies. Situation in the industrial sector was the most complicated in 1999. In 2000-2001 we managed to overcome existing tendencies and provide the growth of production.

But beginning with the second half of 2001, the situation has got tangibly worsened. Enforcement of the foreign political pressure by the Republic of Moldova firstly made negative influence upon the economic situation in the Dniester Moldavian Republic. Impedance of fulfillment of the process of exporting production by the authentic producers, as well as of importing raw materials and other goods caused considerable damages at economic agents of the Dniester Moldavian Republic. Problems appeared with coming of currency profit of the exporting enterprises into territory of the republic; budget payments were not regular.

The state significantly assisted the industrial complex. Within frames of the adopted Republican-wide program of reforming branches and economic agents, 54 enterprises of different branches of economy have been reformed, among which 27 have undergone restructuring. This allowed us provide 22 thousand people with job, improve financial situation of the enterprises by account of state investments, accomplish modernization of production process.

In 2000, in order to form efficient socially oriented market economy, there was adopted the State program of de-stating and privatization for 2001-2002, there were formed lists of state and municipal property, that was to undergo ‘small’ privatization. Unfortunately, the fixed terms of de-stating and privatization of the property are not accomplished that negatively influence upon economic situation in the republic.

Transport plays considerable role in providing efficient functioning of the republican economy. The republic has very high transporting provision and relatively high-qualified highways and interior ways. For all that, the most important problem of transport development during the recent decade is provision of optimal reproduction of morally and physically old-growing transport means’ park.

In 1990s, development of the communication branch has been characterized by gradual dynamics. The work for modernizing the material-technical basis of the branch and its adjustment to the international standards has been held. The new science-applying segment of the services’ market has been formed: the mobile cellular connection, paging connection, electronic mail, and services of the Internet. The nearest days, commercial exploiting of one of the first European mobile networks of third generation will be put to action. This year, construction of the Dniestrian opt-fibrous connection will be finished.

For 12 years, enterprises, organization of all property forms as well as individual builders have given 1356.1 sq. meters of living areas in the house-building domain.

The accomplishment of gasifying living areas is going on. In 2001, 15.8 km of gas pipe-lines were introduced to exploitation that let us provide 1224 yards (4 villages) with gas; 2.5 thousands of families live there. 87% of the whole territory of the republic is gasified.

During 90s, the situation in agriculture has been the most complicated among all producing branches of economy. In 90s, the volume of producing agricultural goods has had stable tendency to reduction. Reduction of production volumes in the agricultural sector is predetermined by lack of engineering and fuel, decrease of a number of organic and mineral fertilizers, of watered areas, worsening of structure of sown areas. Situation in the agrarian sector has had negative influence upon activity of enterprises of the alimentation industry, food markets, and alimentation security of the republic.

Today the main course is for accomplishment of reforms also in the agro-industrial complex. Kolkhozes are reorganized into producing co-operatives, farms and their associations. There is accomplished “The Program of reforming enterprises processing agricultural production”, within frames of which 8 concerns of agro-industrial complex are working. There is created the system of state crediting of the agro-industrial complex via Investment Fund “Agroinvest”.

The situation in the agriculture however still remains difficult. For recent 3 years, despite difficulties, acquisition of cereals to the State Fund is fully provided by Dniestrian producers, that considerably economize currency means, and this year the over 90% of the planned volume of cereals has been given to the State Fund.

The state takes particular care and attention of social protection of the citizens in domain of pension’s provision, improvement of life of children, handicapped people, and labor veterans, job for people and labor payment of the budget sphere benefactors. The pensions of widows of those died during the Great Patriotic war (1941-1945 – note of the translator) have been reconsidered for many times, as well as for handicapped and parentless children. There is made recalculation of pensions in purpose of fuller registration of the working experience and people’s wages. Additional pensions for handicapped from among defenders of the Dniester Moldavian Republic and families of those who died during the war of 1992 are introduced as well as additional privileges for certain categories of citizens suffered because of aggression of Moldova.

The average month wage is growing throughout the republic. The current year it grew for 12% in the US dollar calculation.

Furthermore, the economic policy will be directed for creation of favorable investment climate, reforming of the agricultural production, accomplishment of active social policy, directed for improving the level of life of the population.

Foreign policy of any state is first of all supposed to contribute to realize living interests of its internal development. This thesis is the key one for our republic, too.

I would mark that last year was characterized by international situation that considerably differed from the one that had existed before.

Firstly, it’s the on-going full-scale blockade of Dniestria organized by Moldova in all directions, the break, and later – the full refusal by the Moldavian authority of holding negotiations.

Secondly, intensive attention of the leading world powers towards the matter of normalizing relationship between the Republic of Moldova and the Dniester Moldavian Republic, that was reflected also in the Joint declaration on new strategic relations between the Russian Federation and the United States of America.

Thirdly, activity of mediators of the negotiation process on restarting direct negotiations within frames of the quanta-lateral format, the result of which was establishment of the Permanent convention on political issues and holding the meeting of its participants in Kiev in early July of this year.

The above-mentioned factors are manifested on the background of cardinal changes in the Europe and world in generally, where on frontiers of centuries the world community has vastly enlarged the existing frames of resolving conflicts.

We have become witnesses of founding and international recognition of the state of Serbia and Montenegro. It’s important that resolution of the long-time problem has been achieved by means of applying a new progressive model – the model of interstate association.

We consider this example as universal formula of resolution in the 21^st century. This prospective way of overcoming controversies and involving the European-wide and worldwide integration processes not only for Dniestria and Moldova but also for a number of conflict zones in the post-Soviet space.

I would like to mark that authority of the Dniester Moldavian Republic possesses a comprehensive up-to-date concept of settlement, brought to the notice of mediators and of the Moldavian side this February.

The time passed since the moment of stopping the military counteraction is the time of political dialogue that should have put the grounds for reestablishing of trust and achievement of real reconciliation.

The peaceful dialogue has had its raises and fallings. Everyone remembers that our negotiations started very uneasily as far as in 1994. Since then we have managed to make a considerable step forward. With active participation of Dniestria dozens of important documents of the negotiation process were created, there was worked out and signed the Memorandum “On Bases of Normalizing Relations between the Republic of Moldova and Dniestria”, the 5^th Anniversary of which we have marked this spring.

A year ago, we signed documents that let develop potentialities accumulated during years of negotiations with authority of Moldova; prospective of normalizing relations was marked. Unfortunately, in the unilateral way, Moldova abruptly broke up the formed positive process, having chosen force resolution of the Dniestrian matter.

In our term, we always remember and understand non-alternative character of political negotiations, supporting all initiatives on their restarting, and demonstrating readiness to hold dialogues calmly, to search mutually acceptable decisions.

By this May, it became clear that confrontation strategy of Moldova, directed for full isolation and suffocation of Dniestria, totally failed. The Dniestrian people once again showed inflexible will, devotion to high ideals of freedom and priority of human rights.

The changed political reality became the basis for initiative of mediators regarding holding of sitting of the Permanent convention on political issues in Kiev this July. The main result of the Kiev meeting was appearing of brand-new conceptual principles of building relations between Dniestria and Moldova on basis of refusal of the settled unitary model of the common state.

Today the maximally possible result for restarting the negotiation process is achieved:

· The existing quanta-lateral format of the negotiation process is confirmed;

· There is reached an agreement not to initiate preliminary conditions for restarting the dialogue;

· Efficiency of agreements achieved before is confirmed.

Protection of interests of Dniestrian security is closely connected also with the work in domain of economic diplomacy. Its main directions are full-scale participation of the republic in international economic organizations, support of the home business, counteraction to discrimination of Dniestrian producers and exporters.

The world history of states’ development confirms that hostility and violence are not forgotten for long time and anyway they leave a deep trace. For all that, any civilized state is interested in soonest reestablishment of trust and arranging peaceful and creative relations with another side of the conflict. In this sense, peacekeeping activity is an optimal instrument of establishing and maintaining peace and security.

In July we celebrated the 10^th Anniversary of creating the military contingent of the Peacekeeping Forces of the Dniester Moldavian Republic. The Peacekeeping Forces created in 1992 in conformity with Agreement on principles of peaceful settlement, and in the present time they remain a considerable stabilizing factor in the region.

In the contemporary world, the military and force factors keep on playing considerable role. Three years after the OSCE Istanbul summit, we may state with regret that Russia leaves the region in a planned way.

At the same time, Russian military and political presence, in our opinion, still remains the main factor of maintaining peace and stability in the region, the basis of efficient holding of the peacekeeping process. The Dniester Moldavian Republic expresses its willingness to go on discussing the status and other issues concerning troops and weapons of the Russian Federation, dislocated in the territory of Dniestria.

Considering particularities of the historical development and geopolitical situation of the Dniester Moldavian Republic, and basing on the role of the Ukraine, as mediator of the negotiation process and guarantee of agreements achieved between Moldova and Dniestria, relations with the Ukraine represent exclusive importance for the Dniester Moldavian Republic.

The few recent years have been characterized by activation of the Ukraine in the negotiation process. Authority of the Ukraine put forward a number of initiatives and conceptual proposals that received high appreciation of Dniestria and mediators. The Ukrainian President initiative dated this January also testifies about the active participation of the Ukraine in the mediator activity. The initiative dealt with holding the meeting of authority of Moldova and Dniestria, as well as organization of the Kiev meeting of the parties and mediators’ representatives in July 2002 within frames of the Permanent convention on political issues.

Besides, acting as the guarantee country, the Ukraine stayed at objective position and, basing on agreements signed before, demands consideration of opinion of the Dniestrian side, including the issues of economic interaction of Moldova and the Ukraine.

Year by year, maintaining and developing close relations with Abkhazia, Southern Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh in common interests of security and stability, we direct the commonly accumulated potentialities of satellite relationship and strategic partnership for good of our republics.

Traditionally, one of the most important priorities of our foreign policy remains development of economic contacts within frames of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and regional co-operation. Our mainstream is pragmatic co-operation coherent to real needs and interests of its participants.

All of this testifies about active and multi-vector character of our foreign policy, predetermined by geopolitical, natural, resource, economic, and cultural dimensions of the Republic.

Undoubtedly, history and fate of any state is closely connected with the outside world. And its authority and recognition depends on how actively the state takes part in worldwide processes.

In conclusion, I find important to say that the world community without even saying about neighboring states attentively observes processes occurring here no matter if we want it or not.

There exists opinion that the fate of Dniestria is determined in Russia, the Ukraine or in the USA. I want to say: No, it is determined namely in Dniestria. We are sure in our people. One more year lived by the Republic is a bright confirmation to what I’ve said.

We have all possibilities for being a state that is respected and respects itself, that provides proper life, and keeping its dignity, living in peace with itself and with the rest of the world. And first of all, our recognition by the world community, respect from another states depends on it.

Dear friends,

Being very grateful, I appeal to our guests, who have arrived to share joy of our holiday. Thank you for congratulations, addressed to the Dniester Moldavian Republic, for sincere wishes and support. Our people have deserved such attention and take it as award for firmness, for right of the free choice, for creative work, for future of the growing generation.

Dear Dniestrians, I congratulate you with the holiday – the 12^th Anniversary of foundation of the Dniester Moldavian Republic. I wish peace in our land to all of us, and besides, welfare and strong health!

Long live and prosper the Dniester Moldavian Republic!