The leader of a province in eastern Moldova welcomes U.S. involvement in settlement process

The leader of a province in eastern Moldova said the involvement of the European Union and the United States in settlement talks in his province is preferable, the state news agency reported Monday.

In a report carried on the official Olvia-Pres news agency, Igor Smirnov, leader of Trans-Dniester since 1992, welcomed the involvement of the two.

Romanian President Traian Basescu pledged Sunday to assist neighboring Moldova in resolving the Trans-Dniester crisis and help the country to build stronger ties with the European Union. Moldova has struggled for years to reach a settlement with its eastern, Russian-speaking province of Trans-Dniester, the AP reports .