'..Moldova's Transdniester region was the Kremlin's "first experiment" with fueling separatist conflict..'<blockquote>'Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti called on the European Union to maintain economic sanctions on Russia, saying Moldova's Transdniester region was the Kremlin's "first experiment" with fueling separatist conflict.
Meeting with visiting Czech Prime Minister Boguslaw Sobotka on June 10, Timofti said that long before the Ukraine crisis that provoked the sanctions on Russia, Moscow backed independence efforts in Transdniester, and it continues to hinder Moldova's efforts to integrate with the European Union.
"Russia's interest in preserving its influence in this zone is a serious obstacle on the way to Moldova's rapprochement with the European Union," and that is why U.S. and EU sanctions are needed and should stay in place, he said, according to a statement from his office.
Timofti said Russia has continued to support Tiraspol's separatist efforts. The breakaway region declared independence from Moldova in 1990 but has not been widely recognized as a state.
Moreover, Timofti said, Russia appears to be behind attempts to spread a separatist policy elsewhere in the country even today, his press service said.
Timofti stressed the need to withdraw Russian soldiers and weapons from Transdniester in compliance with commitments made under a 1999 OSCE agreement.'
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Moldovan President Calls On EU To Maintain Sanctions On Russia, June 11, 2016</blockquote>
Context<blockquote>
'..the Soviet Union was cut off from Western financial markets and was effectively under permanent sanctions..''..Zero tolerance for Russian intrusions .. Estonia .. policy of publicly naming or prosecuting spies..''Sanctions against Russia will remain in place until Crimea is returned to Ukraine..'</blockquote>