* Transdniestria wants 2,700 Russian troops in territory * But pro-Western leader wants them withdrawn By Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Transdniestria, a strip of land that fought a brief war to break away from Moldova nearly 20 years ago, wants Russia to boost its peacekeeping troops after pro-Western parties formed a government in the ex-Soviet state. Moldova lies on the doorstep of the European Union and may yet become a flashpoint in ties between the bloc, which has warmed to the new government, and a Russia wary of losing its sphere of influence in one of its former Soviet allies. Russian-speaking Transdniestria broke away in 1990 and fought a short war in 1992, fearing that Moldova would one day unite with neighbouring EU-member Romania, with whom Moldovans share a linguistic and historical legacy. Shortly after four pro-Western parties ended eight years of communist rule by forming a government last month, the acting president said Russian peacekeeping troops, stationed mostly on the Transdniestrian side, should be withdrawn. "We are asking Russia to return its peacekeeping contingent to its previous number of 2,700 soldiers. You cannot have a vaccuum and if Russia leaves here then obviously someone else will take its place," said Oleg Beleacov, co-chairman from the Transdniestrian side of a commission controlling peacekeepers. "It is no secret to anyone that any other foreign presence in whatever size or capacity in Transdniestria, apart from Russian, will be treated with hostility," he told Reuters. The peacekeeping force numbers 1,500, more or less equally split between Russian, Moldovan and Transdniestrian, together with a small number of Ukrainian officers. CONTRADICTORY DEMANDS The contradictory demands on troops numbers from the two sides show a speedy resolution of the "frozen conflict" is far away a year after the region's self-styled president, Igor Smirnoff and former president Vladimir Voronin met twice. Although their meeting was the first in seven years, the two men remained entrenched in their positions. Transdniestria insists on independence, and even integration with Russia, while Moldova is willing only to give it autonomy. Russia, Ukraine and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) tried to help in talks between the two sides for over a decade and four years ago were joined by the EU and the United States as observers in a "5+2" format. Communist veteran Voronin had wavered between good relations with the EU and Russia in his eight years in power but in the last two years of his presidency he became far friendlier with Moscow and hostile towards Romania. The new government however stands on a platform of integration with the EU, and some of its members in the run-up to July's parliamentary election had spoken of joining the NATO military alliance -- an ambition certain to anger Moscow. The government has said since it would respect Moldova's neutrality. "Such aspirations of the pro-Western politicias frightens Transdniestria, which sees Russia as a defender that would not allow Moldova to single-handedly solve the conflict without taking into account the Transdniestrian view," said Vitalii Andrievschii, head of the ava.md think tank. No country has recognised Transndiestrian independence, but it does function de facto like an independent state with its own army, government institutions, custom officials, central bank an postal services. The region is also the industrial heart of Moldova -- an otherwise largely agrarian economy producing wines and tobacco -- and Russia has invested there in recent years. "Only Russia, as a guarantor country, has the absolute trust of the local population. And only Russia with its historical unity with the peopls who have lived in the region for ages, is able to keep the peace..," Beleacov said. (Writing by Sabina Zawadzki)
Magomed Hazbiyev (C), the companion-in-arms of slain opposition activist Maksharip Aushev, mourns over his body at Aushev's father's house in Nazran, southern Russia, October 25, 2009. Aushev, an opposition activist from ...
