Pro-EU Moldova dismisses breakaway region's request for Russian help

Delegates gather to take part in the congress of deputies, in front of the Palace of the Republic in Tiraspol, Moldovan breakaway region of Transdniestria, February 28, 2024. REUTERS/Vladislav Bachev

CHISINAU (Reuters) -Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region asked Russia on Wednesday to help its economy withstand Moldovan "pressure," at a meeting of hundreds of officials dismissed by the pro-European Chisinau government as a propaganda event to gain headlines.

The region, long seen as a potential flashpoint with Russia in Europe, held a "congress of deputies of all levels" after Moldova required Transdniestrian firms to pay import duties to the central budget from January.