"OLVIA-PRESS"

RUSSIAN-DNIESTRIAN NEGOTIATIONS HAVE PASSED WITHOUT MUTUAL REPROACH.

On September 24^th-26^th 2002, in Tiraspol there took place the negotiations between the Dniestrian authority headed by the DMR President Igor Smirnov and the Russian Federation ministry of defense delegation headed by the deputy minister Vladimir Isakov. The main topic of the negotiations was the problem of material payoff to Dniestria for destruction, withdrawal, and preparation to withdrawal by Russia of the military property of the former 14^th army; the property is in stockpiles of the Limited Group of the Russian Troops. Besides, there were discussed perspectives of fulfillment of Istanbul agreements.

We rimed you that as far as last year Moscow and Tiraspol reached an agreement on withdrawal of 4 echelons with the LGRT weaponry. But the Russian side was not fulfilling its duties on payoffs; that's why only three echelons have left for Russia.

Informing about results of the negotiations, the general-colonel Vladimir Isakov remarked, "it was decided to send the fourth echelon with ammunition, its loading will start on October 1^st 2002. Besides, there was reached an agreement on paying debts for gas delivered by Russia".

The parties signed a respective Protocol by results of a series of meetings.

Commenting on it, the DMR President Igor Smirnov said as follows:

"I should grate the Russian side for the fact that for the first time it has approached to resolution of the given problem in a complex way and without mutual reproach.

We understand that Russia has taken Istanbul agreements upon it, - the President continued. - It's important that Russia has decided to withdraw surpluses of weaponry. I am very glad that we have faced understanding in what concerns payoffs. It was agreed to give financial assistance to the DMR in amount of $100 million, which would be sent to acquittance for gas and current payments.

Besides, we raised a very important question that Russia would simultaneously fulfill its duties as of the guarantor-country, that is, to provide foreign economic activity of the DMR. In particular, it is recognition of certificates for our goods and other obligations".

The head of the state emphasized that he was satisfied with Russia's understanding of the problems of Dniestria.

As the DMR President also said, the summary protocol had fixed the particular opinion of the Dniestrian side:

"The Dniestrian side will accomplish statements of the given Protocol in full scale simultaneously with results of consideration that Russia will do with the Protocol's statement on providing conditions of foreign economic activity of Dniestrian enterprises in the goods' turnover with the Russian Federation".

As participants of the Russian-Dniestrian negotiations informed, the consultations on issues of withdrawal and salvaging of ammunitions and weaponry of the former 14^th army would be continued in October.