Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester

StatusGovernment in exileCapitalTiraspol (claimed)
Chișinău (capital in exile)LanguagesGovernmentAutonomous regionOleg Serebrian^[2]Vacant LegislatureSupreme CouncilAutonomous territorial unit of Moldova27 July 2005^[3] Area 4,163 km² (1,607 sq mi)2.35Population505,153^[4]555,347124.6/km² (322.7/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)UTC+3 (EEST)Drives onrightCalling code+373Internet TLD.md

The Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester^[a] is a formal administrative unit of Moldova established by the Government of Moldova to delineate the territory controlled by the unrecognized state of Transnistria.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Transnistria War broke out between the Republic of Moldova and the unrecognized state Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic over territories of the former Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. Since the end of the war there has been territory claimed by Moldova, but controlled by Transnistria. There is also territory claimed by the Transnistria, which is controlled by Moldova.

On 22 July 2005, the autonomous territorial unit with special legal status was established in Moldovan law.^[3] This was done as part of the Yushchenko Plan for reintegrating Transnistria into Moldova.^[5]

The territory of the Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester mostly coincides with territory of the Transnistria, but there are two important differences:^[6][7]

• Bender (Tighina) is included in the unrecognized state of Transnistria, but it is excluded from the Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester, being part of the historical region of Bessarabia;
• Territories which are claimed by Transnistria but controlled by Moldova are excluded from the autonomous territorial unit. These territories include parts of the Dubăsari District, Căușeni District, and Anenii Noi District.

There are 147 settlements in Transnistria (settlements on the east bank of the Dniester river): one municipality, nine towns, two settlements which are parts of towns, 69 villages (communes), and 135 settlements which are parts of villages (communes).^[6]

The law which establishes the Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester states that the region is to elect a Supreme Council on the basis of free, transparent and democratic elections. The Supreme Council should then adopt a Basic Law to formally establish the executive institutions of the region. The region has the right to adopt its own symbols to be used in conjunction with the national symbols of Moldova. The official languages of the region are Romanian in the Latin script, Russian and Ukrainian. The region would be able to establish relationships with other countries for economic, technical, scientific and humanitarian purposes.^[8]

The government of Moldova has established a Bureau of Reintegration headed by the Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, a post held by Oleg Serebrian since January 2022.^[9]

• Bureau of Reintegration: Government of Moldova

• (In Romanian) Law No. 173 from 22.07.2005 "About main notes about special legal status of settlements of left bank of Dnestr (Transnistria)"