The Moldovan government Wednesday condemned Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova, over its attempt to join Russia, saying political dialogue is the only way for a final and viable solution to the decades-long conflict.

Describing the attempt as nothing but a direct defiance of its territorial integrity, the Moldovan government called for coordinated efforts to promote the conflict settlement process and work out a special status for Transnistria, based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova.

"In particular, we appeal to our partners from Russia to come with a prompt reaction, in full accordance with the norms and principles of the international law," said the government.

Meanwhile, neighboring Romania reiterated firm support for Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally-recognized borders.

Transnistria's attempt ran counter to the fundamental principles of the political settlement to the issue, to which all the participants in the 5+2 negotiation format of this file have adhered, said Romania, calling on all international players of the format to disallow the moves.

The 5+2 format, main coordinator of the issue, gathers Russia, Ukraine, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Republic of Moldova and Transnistrian administration plus the European Union and the United States.

The Transnistrian authority asked Moscow earlier Wednesday in a statement to recognize its independence, with its subsequent entry into the Russian Federation.

In the past 24 years, the two banks of the Nistru River, which divides Transnistria from Moldova, distanced a lot from each other and the people from the left bank (Transnistrian region) want to have a future together with Russia, said the Transnistrian Supreme Soviet, law making body of the region, in the statement.

This is not the first request of this kind sent to Moscow by Transnistria, a largely Russian-and-Ukrainian-speaking area, which declared independence in 1990, but remains unrecognized by any UN member state.

In a "referendum" organized in 2006, 97.2 percent of Transnistrian participants were allegedly in favor of joining Russia.