Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on simplified acceptance of Russian citizenship for residents of the unrecognized Transnistria region. The document was published on the official legal information portal.
The right to acquire Russian citizenship was granted under a simplified procedure to foreign citizens or stateless persons who have reached the age of 18 and permanently reside in Transnistria on the day the decree enters into force.
This decision was taken, according to the decree, “in order to protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, guided by generally recognized principles and rules of international law.”
Under the decree, residents of Transnistria can apply for Russian citizenship without complying with the requirements specified in the first three paragraphs of Part I of Article 15 of the Federal Law “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation.” These paragraphs stipulate that any person who wishes to obtain Russian citizenship must reside permanently in Russia from the day the decision to issue a residence permit is made until the day of submitting an application for citizenship for a period of five years, speak the Russian language, and know the history of Russia and the basic legislation of the Russian Federation.
Transnistrian residents will be able to apply for citizenship at diplomatic missions and consular offices of Russia.
Transnistria is a self-proclaimed republic in northeastern Moldova. It was declared in 1990 as the Transnistrian-Moldavian SSR with its capital at Tiraspol (it is not recognized in either Chisinau or Moscow). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the unrecognized state continued to exist as the Pridnestrovian-Moldovan Republic. Transnistria’s independence is only partially recognized by South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
There are 1,500 Russian peacekeepers in Transnistria. These are mainly local residents – citizens of Moldova with Russian passports, hired under a contract. The Moldovan authorities have repeatedly called for the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers. In particular, the current president of the country, Maia Sandu, calls for this. To solve the Transnistria problem, she said, it was necessary to withdraw Russian forces from the region “peacefully,” followed by the “gradual reintegration” of Transnistria.