CHISINAU, Moldova — Closer economic ties with Europe, not conflict,
is the best way to counter pro-Russian separatist movements in Ukraine
and other former Soviet republics, Moldova's foreign minister said."What's
important is for Ukraine to move forward with European integration and
to continue to reform itself according to international norms," Natalia
Gherman said in an interview with USA TODAY here in the Moldovan
capital.Moldova is a small, agrarian and impoverished former
Soviet republic sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. Apart from its
wines and chocolates, it's known these days for its Russian-majority
autonomous region, Transnistria, which fought for independence after the
breakup of the Soviet Union in 1992.
