More frictions have been added by the fuss around several schools in Transdniestria where tuition is carried out in the Moldovan language with the use of the Latin alphabet. The Transdniestrian authorities demand re-registration of these schools and refer to them ostensibly as "Romanian schools". Chisinau, on the contrary, denies this necessity on the grounds that the schools are situated on the territory of the Moldovan state.
"This mounting confrontation is fraught with unpredictable consequences, including instability in the region as a whole, undermined interests of people on both banks of the Dniester, the growth of mutual alienation and a barrier to political settlement," says the information department (Chisinau has already threatened to withdraw from the process of Transdniestrian political settlement).
The Russian foreign ministry cites the recent history confirming that use of force in the Transdniestrian conflict is rather dangerous and fruitless.
"Russia is appealing to both sides to display political wisdom and to keep developments under control. Everything should be done to keep away from any further clashes and to resume constructive approaches to the search for mutually-acceptable solutions," says the department.
Russia is calling the sides to return to dialogue-the more so as there is the tested five-partite format (the OSCE, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and the Transdniestria) which, like other effective mechanisms of talks, ought to be perfected and consolidated rather than destroyed, says the foreign ministry.
The Russian foreign ministry reports about Russia's willingness to help Chisinau and Tiraspol meet each other half way not only in what is called "the school crisis" but also in the attainment of a comprehensive settlement.
Moscow believes that the authorities of Moldova and Transdniestria will give a correct assessment of the current situation and show goodwill in order to prevent the repetition of the early 1990s tragedy on the Dniester banks.
