Thursday marks the 30th anniversary of the 1992 Agreement on the Principles for a Peaceful Settlement of the Armed Conflict in the Dniester Region of the Republic of Moldova, signed by former Russian President Boris Yeltsin and ex-Moldovan President Mircea Snegur in 1992.
The agreement stipulated the immediate ceasefire and the deployment of peacekeepers from Russia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
"If the Republic of Moldova legally withdraws from the Agreement of July 21, 1992, such a destructive step could become a prerequisite for hostilities because it would return the situation to a conflict state between Moldova and Transnistria," Ignatiev said.
"In this regard, the continuation of the peacekeeping mission by joint forces of Russian and Transnistria remains the only effective means of ensuring peace and physical security of the half-million population of Transnistria, including over 220,000 Russian citizens," the foreign minister added.
Transnistria, about 60% of whose population is Russian and Ukrainian, has been seeking to secede from Moldova since the collapse of the Soviet Union, fearing that Moldova would merge with Romania. In 1992, Transnistria became a territory de facto not controlled by Chisinau.