UNCLASSIFIED E2

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PAGE 01 MOSCOW 35829 01 OF 04 132037Z RELEASED IN PART

ACTION E"UR.-01 Bl, 1.4(B)
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SP-01
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US ~E-OO
FMP-01 /100W
------------------B71897 132038Z /38
P 1320352 DEC 91
FM AMEMB~SSY MOSCOW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4470
AMEMBASS~ BUCHAREST
INFO MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

CON F IDE N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MOSCOW 035829

DEPT FOR D, P, C/E, S/P, HA, EUR/SOV, EUR/EEY

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR

TAGS: PGOV, PNAT, PHUM, RO, UR
SUBJECT: MOLDOVA CHARGES SOVIET ARMY INTERFERENCE IN
TRANS-DNIESTER; MAY JOIN COMMONWEALTH

REFS: A) MOSCOW 35584; B) MOSCOW 35207

1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.

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PAGE 02 MOSCOW 35829 01 OF 04 132037Z

SUMMARY

2. MOLDOVAN OFFICIALS ARE INCREASINGLY CONCERNED

ABOUT WHAT THEY SEE AS INCREASING MILITARIZATION OF
THE TRANS-DNIESTER "REPUBLIC," DIRECT SOVIET MILITARY
ASSISTANCE TO THE BREAKAWAY REGION, AND THE ACTIVE
INVOLVEMENT OF SOVIET TROOPS IN THE HARASSMENT OF
ETHNIC-MOLDOVAN VILLAGES THERE. THE MOLDOVAN
GOVERNMENT HAS ISSUED AN APPEAL TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS OUTLINING ITS CLAIMS. MOLDOVAN
PRESIDENT SNEGUR HAS REITERATED A WILLINGNESS TO

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE

REVIEW AUTHORITY: ROBERT 0 HOMME
CLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL REASON: 1.4(B)
DECLASSIFY AFTER: 12 DEC 2016
DATE/CASE ID: 17 SEP 2009 200802198 UNCLASSIFIED
NEGOTIATE WITH TRANS-DNIESTER AND G~19)t~I~}sI>
WHO HAVE PROPOSED A CONFEDERATION FOR MOLDOVA.
INITIAL ~OLDOVAN REACTION TO THE MINSK AGREEMENT WAS
NOT WARM, AS OFFICIALS FEARED A "SLAVIC" COMMONWEALTH
WOULD FAVOR THE ETHNIC-RUSSIAN LEADERSHIP OF THE
TRANS-DN~ESTER. HOWEVER, FOLLOWING INDICATIONS THAT
NON-SLAV~C REPUBLICS MIGHT JOIN THE NEW GROUP, SNEGUR
FLEW TO 'lvIOSCOW DECEMBER 12 AND CONFERRED WITH
PRESIDEN~ YEL'TSIN. AFTER THE MEETING, SNEGUR SAID
MOLDOVA :LOOKED VERY FAVORABLY ON THE COMMONWEALTH,
BUT HE D ~D NOT IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCE ANY DECISION ON
JOINING. SNEGUR THEN DEPARTED FOR FURTHER MEETINGS
IN MINSK AND KIEV. FOR LATE DEVELOPMENTS, SEE PARA
14. END SUMMARY.

FEARS OF MOSCOW TILT TOWARD TRANS-DNIESTER

3. MOLDOVAN OFFICIALS ARE INCREASINGLY CONCERNED

ABOUT DE~LOPMENTS IN THE SEPARATIST TRANS-DNIESTER
REGION. SPEAKING WITH MOLDOVAN OFFICIALS BOTH IN
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PAGE 03 MOSCOW 35829 01 OF 04 132037Z

MOLDOVA AND IN MOSCOW, POLOFFS NOTE A WORRIED AND
PESSIMIS~IC MOOD ARISING PRINCIPALLY FROM THE
MOLDOVAN PERCEPTION THAT MOSCOW (BOTH THE MILITARY
AND THE RUSSIAN LEADERSHIP) IS LEANING TOWARD THE
TRANS-DNIESTER. THE PRIME CONCERN OF MOLDOVAN
OFFICIALS IS THAT THE TRANS-DNIESTER REGION IS
BECOMING INCREASINGLY MILITARIZED AND, MOST OMINOUSLY
IN THEIR VIEW, RECEIVING MATERIAL AND POLITICAL
SUPPORT FROM MAINLINE SOVIET MILITARY FORCES.
MOLDOVAN OFFICIALS CLAIM THIS IS OCCURRING WITH THE
KNOWLEDGE AND PERHAPS APPROVAL OF MILITARY AND
POLITICAL LEADERS IN MOSCOW. SOME MOLDOVANS NOW
DESCRIBE THE TRANS-DNIESTER AS A DE FACTO SOVIET
MILITARY DICTATORSHIP.

CHARGES OF DIRECT SOVIET MILITARY AID

4. WHILE MOLDOVAN OFFICIALS HAVE LONG MAINTAINED

THAT THE TRANS-DNIESTER MILITIA WAS RECEIVING SOME
EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING FROM REGULAR SOVIET TROOPS
STATIONED IN THE REGION, THEY NOW CHARGE THAT SOVIET
MILITARY SUPPORT HAS EXPANDED. THEY ALSO CLAIM TO
HAVE EVIDENCE THAT SOME SOVIET EQUIPMENT BEING
REMOVED FROM EASTERN EUROPE IS BEING SENT TO THE

UNCLASSIFIEI>
TRANS-DN lESTER AND HANDED OVER TO Tl!J!N"'~~~S'R~
REPUBLIC GOVE~NT." FINALLY, THESE OFFICIALS
CHARGE TBAT THE TRANS-DNIESTER MILITIA IS
CONSOLIDATING ITS CONTROL IN ETHNICALLY MOLDOVAN
AREAS (KOLDOVANS MAKE UP FORTY PERCENT OF THE
TRANS-DNlESTER POPULATION, CONCENTRATED IN RURAL
VILLAGES), HARASSING MOLDOVAN VILLAGES AND FORCING
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PAGE 04 MOSCOW 35829 01 OF 04 132037Z

POLICE rrNITS LOYAL TO THE CENTRAL MOLDOVAN REPUBLIC
TO EITHER FOLLOW TRANS-DNIESTER ORDERS OR ABANDON
THEIR POSTS. THEY ALLEGE THAT SOVIET TROOPS ARE
THEMSELVES NOW ALSO INVOLVED IN SUCH ACTIVITIES,
WEARING 1JNIFORMS WITHOUT INSIGNIA. MOLDOVAN FEARS
WERE HEIGHTENED RECENTLY WHEN GENERAL G.I. YAKOVLEV,
THE CO~DER OF THE SOVIET FOURTEENTH ARMY
(HEADQUARTERED IN TlRASPOL), ASSUMED THE POSITION OF
TRANS-DN lESTER "DEFENSE MINISTER."

MOLDOVAN APPEAL TO WORLD GOVERNMENTS

5. IN ~SPONSE TO THESE EVENTS, THE MOLDOVAN

GOVERNMENT PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 6 AN "APPEAL TO THE
UNITED NATIONS AND PARLIAMENTS AND GOVE~NTS OF ALL
COUNTRIES" (SIGNED BY PRESIDENT SNEGUR, PRIME
MINISTER MURAVSCHI, AND CHAIRMAN OF THE MOLDOVAN
PARLIAMENT MOSANU), OUTLINING ITS CLAIM OF SOVIET
MILITARY INTERFERENCE IN MOLDOVA. ON DECEMBER 8, THE
DAY OF MOLDOVAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, A SENIOR AIDE
TO SOVIET DEFENSE MINISTER SHAPOSHNIKOV WENT TO
KISHINEV TO HEAR MOLDOVAN COMPLAINTS. MOLDOVAN
OFFICIALS TOLD POLOFFS THE AIDE PROMISED TO
INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION, STATING THAT THE SOVIET

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ACTION EUR-01

INFO LOG-OO AID-01 AMAD-01 CIAB-OO C-01 DODE-OO DPR-01

EB-01 E-01 CSCE-01 HA-09 H-01 INRE-OO INR-01
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PM-01 PRS-01 P-01 RP-10 SCT-03 SDEL-01 SIL-01
SNP-01 SP-01 SR-01 SS-Ol STR-20 TRSE-OO T-01
USIE-OO FMP-01 /100W
------------------B718AD 132039Z /38
P 132035Z DEC 91
FM AMEMBP.SSY MOSCOW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4471
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
INFO MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

CON F IDE N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 04 MOSCOW 035829

DEPT FOR D, P, C/E, S/P, HA, EUR/SOV, EUR/EEY

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR

TAGS: PGOV, PNAT, PHUM, RO, UR
SUBJECT: MOLDOVA CHARGES SOVIET ARMY INTERFERENCE IN
TRANS-DNIESTER; MAY JOIN COMMONWEALTH

MILITARY SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN REPUBLIC

POLITICS. MOLDOVAN SOURCES ALSO REPORTED THAT
GENERAL YAKOVLEV WAS CALLED TO MOSCOW TO EXPLAIN HIS
POSITION. THE SOURCES WERE NOT CONFIDENT THAT THERE
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PAGE 02 MOSCOW 35829 02 OF 04 132039Z

WOULD BE ANY CHANGES, HOWEVER, SINCE A SIMILAR SERIES
OF MOLDOVAN COMPLAINTS AND SOVIET MILITARY
INVESTIGATIONS IN THE FALL PRODUCED NO RESULTS.

THE LESSON OF CROATIA -- WE NEED AN ARMY

6. IN A DECEMBER 10 CONVERSATION WITHOPOLMINCOUNS

AND POLOFF, I Bl
I I EXPRESSED GREAT CONCERN THAT
DEVELOPMENTS IN MOLDOVA COULD SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND

UNCLASSIFIED
RESULT I:N VIOLENCE. HE SAID THE GOVE~MS?If'IED
UNSTABLE SITUATION, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.
HE ADDED THAT ONE RESULT OF THE INCREASED TENSIONS
HAS BEEN DISCUSSION IN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE URGENT
NEED FOR A MOLDOVAN ARMY. AT PRESENT MOLDOVA HAS
LITTLE M<>RE THAN A HOME GUARD/POLICE FORCE. AN
ARTICLE IN THE DECEMBER 7 EDITION OF THE MOLDOVAN
NEWSPAPE:R "SFATUL TARII" POINTED OUT THAT THE PRESENT
MOLDOVAN SECURITY FORCE MIGHT NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO
DEFEND I~SELF FROM THE TRANS-DNIESTER MILITIA, MUCH
LESS THE SOVIET MILITARY. I ILAMENTED THAT Bl
MOLDOVA HAS NO RESOURCES TO SPARE AND YET WOULD NOW
PROBABLY BE FORCED TO DIVERT SOME TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF AN ARMED FORCE. "WE HAVE LEARNED THE LESSON OF
CROATIA," HE SAID SADLY. "NO ONE WILL HELP US IF WE
ARE ATTACKED, SO WE MUST PROTECT OURSELVES,
EVEN IF 'WE CAN T AFFORD IT."
I

TRANS-DNIESTER OBSERVATIONS

7. IN A RECENT TRIP THROUGH THE TRANS-DNIESTER

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PAGE 03 MOSCOW 35829 02 OF 04 132039Z

REGION (REF A), POLOFFS SAW NO EVIDENCE OF SOVIET
MILITARY INVOLVEMENT BUT OBSERVED SMALL DETACHMENTS
OF UNIDENTIFIED ARMED TROOPS AT "BORDER CROSSINGS"
BETWEEN THE TRANS-DNIESTER "REPUBLIC" AND
MOLDOVA-PROPER AND AT A HYDROELECTRIC PLANT ON THE
DNIESTER RIVER. THE SOLDIERS WERE ARMED WITH
AUTOMATIC WEAPONS WHICH APPEARED TO BE BRAND NEW.
POLOFFS WERE STOPPED BY SOLDIERS ON THREE OCCASIONS,
AT THE TRANS-DNIESTER "BORDER" ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF
BENDERY, WHEN ENTERING TlRASPOL, AND WHEN LEAVING THE
TRANS-DNIESTER. THE SOLDIERS, WHOSE UNIFORMS BORE NO
INSIGNIA, ASKED WHO WAS IN THE CAR, AND, UPON BEING
TOLD IT CONTAINED AMERICAN DIPLOMATS (BY THE MOLDOVAN
DRIVER, SPEAKING RUSSIAN), APOLOGIZED AND ALLOWED THE
CAR TO PASS WITHOUT ASKING FOR ANY IDENTIFICATION.
THE PREVIOUS DAY, HOWEVER, TWO AMERICAN CONGRESSIONAL
ELECTION OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO CROSS THE
"BORDER," AND, WHEN AN ARGUMENT ENSUED BETWEEN THEIR
MOLDOVAN ESCORT AND THE CHECKPOINT SOLDIERS, ONE
SOLDIER FIRED HIS WEAPON IN THE AIR TO MAKE HIS
POINT. (THE PRESENCE OF ELECTION OBSERVERS IN THE
TRANS-DNIESTER WAS KNOWN IN ADVANCE AND PUBLICIZED IN
NEWSPAPERS THERE. IF UNUSUAL SOVIET MILITARY

UNCLASSIFIED
ACTIVITY HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE, IT ~lJ.A.mtR~
BEEN SUS~ENDED ON ELECTION DAY.)

CLAIMS OF BIAS IN MOSCOW

8. MOLD~VAN OFFICIALS ALSO CLAIM TO SEE A PATTERN OF

BIAS IN ~FFICIAL STATEMENTS AND MEDIA REPORTING FROM
MOSCOW WEICH FOCUSES EXCESSIVELY ON MOLDOVAN ETHNIC
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PAGE 04 MOSCOW 35829 02 OF 04 132039Z

AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. THEY CONTEND THIS IS AN
ATTEMPT ~O PORTRAY MOLDOVA AS A HOTBED OF ETHNIC
STRIFE WITH MASSIVE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS; SUCH AN IMAGE
COULD ~~ER BE USED TO JUSTIFY INTERFERENCE IN
MOLDOVA UNDER THE GUISE OF PROTECTING ETHNIC RUSSIANS
OR PREVENTING ECONOMIC CHAOS. ON DECEMBER 2, THE
PRESIDIUM OF THE MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENT ISSUED AN
OFFICIAL STATEMENT CHARGIN
G MOSCOW-BASED NEWS
ORGANIZA~IONS WITH A PREJUDICED ATTITUDE TOWARD
MOLDOVA. ONE MOLDOVAN OFFICIAL CITED A NOVEMBER 30
TASS REPORT OF ELECTRICAL SHORTAGES IN MOLDOVA AS AN
EXAMPLE OF INACCURATE REPORTING. THE REPORT CLAIMED
MOLDOVA WAS SHORT OF FUEL FOR ELECTRICAL GENERATION
AND WAS THEREFORE ALLOTING ONLY FOUR HOURS PER DAY OF
ELECTRICITY TO RESIDENCES. THE OFFICIAL SAID THIS
WAS COMPLETELY FALSE; DURING THEIR DECEMBER 6-9 VISIT
POLOFFS OBSERVED NO UNUSUAL ELECTRICITY PROBLEMS AND
HEARD NO ONE MENTION ANY SUCH PROBLEMS.

SECESSIONIST REGIONS COOPERATING

9. WHILE THE OTHER SECESSIONIST "REPUBLIC" IN

MOLDOVA, "GAGAUZIA," IS LESS OF A PROBLEM FOR MOLDOVA

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------------------B718DO 132041Z /38
P 132035Z DEC 91
FM AMEMBAS SY MOSCOW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4472
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
INFO MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

CON F IDE N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 04 MOSCOW 035829

DEPT FOR D, P, C/E, sip, HA, EUR/SOV, EUR/EEY

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR

TAGS: PGOV, PNAT, PHUM, RO, UR
SUBJECT: MOLDOVA CHARGES SOVIET ARMY INTERFERENCE IN
TRANS-DNIESTER; MAY JOIN COMMONWEALTH

(THE GAGAUZ NUMBER AT MOST 200,000), IT APPEARS THE

GAGAUZ ARE COOPERATING WITH THE TRANS-DNIESTER
LEADERSHIP IN THEIR CONFRONTATION WITH MOLDOVA. IN
MEETINGS WITH GAGAUZ AND TRANS-DNIESTER OFFICIALS,
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PAGE 02 MOSCOW 35829 03 OF 04 132040Z

POLOFFS SAW LITTLE FLEXIBILITY IN THE ATTITUDE OF
EITHER GROUP TOWARD MOLDOVA. BOTH GAGAUZ "PRESIDENT"
STEPAN TOPOL AND THE TRANS-DNIESTER "PRESIDENTIAL
PRESS SECRETARY" SAID THEIR "GOVERNMENTS" HAD CLOSE
TIES AND WOULD SOON SIGN A JOINT ECONOMIC AGREEMENT.
THEY ALSO BOTH SUPPORTED THE IDEA OF A THREE-PART
"CONFEDERATION OF MOLDOVA," WITH ECONOMIC
COORDINATION BUT POLITICAL SEPARATION.

UNCLASSIFIED
MOLDOVA WILLING TO NEGOTIATE UNCLASSIFIED
10. MOLDOVAN OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN COOL IN THE PAST TO
THE CONF~DERATION CONCEPT, BUT HAVE CONTINUED TO
EXPRESS WILLINGNESS TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE BREAK-AWAY
AREAS AND HAVE STRESSED THAT THEY WANT TO AVOID ANY
ACTION WHICH COULD LEAD TO VIOLENCE. IN A DECEMBER
11 RADIO ADDRESS, PRESIDENT SNEGUR PUBLICLY
REITERATED HIS WILLINGNESS TO SIT DOWN WITH THE
SECESSIONIST LEADERS, BUT HE ADDED THAT "TOUGH
MEASURES ... IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTION AND
LAWS" WOULD BE TAKEN IF THE TRANS-DNIESTER AND GAGAUZ
REGIONS WERE UNWILLING TO GIVE UP THEIR SEPARATE
STATUS. THIS SEEMS AN EMPTY THREAT, AT LEAST
VIS-A-VIS THE TRANS-DNIESTER, GIVEN THE DISPARITY IN
SIZE AND STRENGTH BETWEEN THE MILITARY
FORCES OF THE TRANS-DNIESTER AND MOLDOVA.

MOLDOVUN REACTION TO NEW COMMONWEALTH

11. THE NEW "COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES" WAS

NOT INITIALLY WARMLY WELCOMED IN MOLDOVA, ESPECIALLY
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PAGE 03 MOSCOW 35829 03 OF 04 132040Z

WHEN THE THREE SLAVIC LEADERS ISSUED A STATEMENT
EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER THE SITUATION IN MOLDOVA, A
STATEMENT SOME MOLDOVANS TOOK TO BE A WARNING ON
BEHALF OF "FELLOW ETHNIC SLAVS" IN THE
TRANS-DNIESTER. PRESIDENT SNEGUR MERELY STATED THAT
MOLDOVA WOULD WORK WITH THE COMMONWEALTH. ONE
FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL TOLD POLOFF HE FEARED ANY
"SLAVIC" COMMONWEALTH WOULD TEND TO FAVOR THE
ETHNIC-RUSSIAN LEADERSHIP OF THE TRANS-DNIESTER AND
ALSO NOT BE LIKELY TO NEGOTIATE FOR THE RETURN TO
MOLDOVA OF SOUTHERN BESSARABIA AND NORTHERN BUKOVINA,
PART OF MOLDOVA BEFORE WORLD WAR II AND NOW PART OF
UKRAINE.

12. ON DECEMBER 12, AS OTHER, NON-SLAVIC REPUBLICS

INDICATED THEY WOULD CONSIDER JOINING THE NEW
COMMONWEALTH, SNEGUR FLEW TO MOSCOW AND CONFERRED
WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT YEL'TSIN. FOLLOWING THE
MEETING, AS REPORTED BY TASS, SNEGUR STATED, "WE LOOK
UPON THE FORMATION OF THE NEW COMMONWEALTH OF
INDEPENDENT STATES VERY FAVORABLY." HOWEVER, HE DID
NOT IMMEDIATELY INDICATE WHETHER MOLDOVA WOULD JOIN.

UNCLASSIFIED
THAT NIGHT HE FLEW TO MINSK TO MEET~~A~FIED
OFFICIALS AND PLANNED FURTHER CONSULTATIONS IN KIEV
DECEMBER 13. PRESIDENT YEL'TSIN CHARACTERIZED THEIR
MEETING AS AN EXPLORATORY ONE BUT INDICATED THERE
WOULD BE SOME FORM OF MOLDOVAN-RUSSIAN AGREEMENT
SOON. (OLDOVAN AND RUSSIAN OFFICIALS SIGNED A
TREATY OF MUTUAL RECOGNITION EARLY IN THE FALL, WHICH
THE MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENT IMMEDIATELY RATIFIED.
HOWEVER, IT HAS NOT BEEN RATIFIED BY THE RUSSIAN
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PAGE 04 MOSCOW 35829 03 OF 04 132040Z

PARLIAMENT, A MATTER OF SOME CONCERN AND IRRITATION
TO THE MOLDOVANS.)

COMMENT

13. WITHOUT RECOGNITION OR SUPPORT IN THE WEST,

MOLDOVA HAS BEEN FACING POLITICAL ISOLATION, OPPOSING

A TRANS-DNIESTER WHICH THEY FEAR COULD BE BACKED BY

THE OVERWHELMING STRENGTH OF A UNITED SLAVIC
COMMONWE.ALTH. IF OTHER NON-SLAVIC REPUBLICS ADHERE
TO THE NEW COMMONWEALTH, MOLDOVA WILL FEEL MORE
COMFORTABLE ABOUT JOINING ITSELF. ECONOMICALLY IT
HAS LITTLE CHOICE, AS MOST OF ITS ECONOMIC TIES ARE
TO THE OTHER FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS. IN THE LONG
RUN, HOWEVER, THE BREAKUP OF THE UNION AND FEARS OF
SLAVIC DOMINATION WILL SERVE TO PUSH MOLDOVA TOWARD
UNIFICATION WITH ROMANIA. END COMMENT.

14. LATE DEVELOPMENT: PRESIDENT SNEGUR HAS BROKEN

OF HIS TRIP TO RETURN HOME FOLLOWING EARLY MORNING
FIGHTING DECEMBER 13 IN THE TRANS-DNIESTER. TASS
REPORTS SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND WOUNDED IN
CLASHES AT A BRIDGE ACROSS THE DNIESTER OUTSIDE THE

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ACTION EUR-01

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SNP-01 SP-01 SR-01 SS-Ol STR-20 TRSE-OO T-01
USIE-OO FMP-01 /100W
------------------B718DC 132041Z /38
P 132035Z DEC 91
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4473
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
INFO MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

CON F IDE N T I A L SECTION 04 OF 04 MOSCOW 035829

DEPT FOR D, P, C/E, S/P, HA, EUR/SOV, EUR/EEY

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR

TAGS: PGOV, PNAT, PHUM, RO, UR
SUBJECT: MOLDOVA CHARGES SOVIET ARMY INTERFERENCE IN
TRANS-DNIESTER; MAY JOIN COMMONWEALTH

TRANS-DNIESTER CITY OF DUBOSSARY. ACCORDING TO THE

REPORT, MOLDOVAN OFFICIALS ARE CLAIMING THE INCIDENT
WAS A TRANS-DNIESTER PROVOCATION AIMED AT UPSETTING
PRESIDENT SNEGUR'S TALKS TODAY IN MINSK AND KIEV.
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PAGE 02 MOSCOW 35829 04 OF 04 132041Z

TRANS-DNIESTER OFFICIALS ARE CHARGING MOLDOVAN POLICE
UNITS WITH "AGGRESSION PROVOKED BY THE PEOPLE'S FRONT
OF MOLDOVA," CHARGING THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO INVADE
TRANS-DNIESTER AND ARE NOW IN CONTROL OF PART OF
DUBASSARY. THE TRANS-DNIESTER OFFICIALS ALSO ACCUSED
THE MOLDOVANS OF USING ROMANIAN WEAPONS.
COLLINS

UNCLASSIFIED
 , '
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