The leader of Moldova's renegade province Transnistria on Monday called for a three-fold increase in Russian troops stationed in the region, the Interfax news agency reported. Igor Smirnov, Transnistria's authoritarian leader, said Russia should increase its "peacekeeper" force in the district from some 1,000 to 3,000 men.

"I believe that Russia should increase its peacekeeping contingent in Transnistria to 3,000 persons," Smirnov said. "(The increase) would not be in violation of international obligations (taken on by Moscow.)"

Smirnov's call for an increase in the Russian troop presence would, if agreed to by Moscow, reverse years of gradual demilitarization in the region.

Russian forces fought on the Transnistrian side during Moldova's civil war ending in 1992. The Kremlin in 1999 promised to remove the last of its troops from the region by the end of 2003.

The Kremlin currently maintains troops in Transnistria as peacekeepers and arms depot guards. Russian officials have said the troops should remain in place despite the 2003 deadline, because of a need to maintain security in the region.

The Moldova-Transnistria ceasefire line has been peaceful for more than a decade, despite the technical state of war still in effect between Chisinau and Tiraspol.

Russian-speaking Transnistria seceded from Romanian-speaking Moldova after a civil war ending in 1992. Like the Georgian renegade provinces South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russia is Transnistria's main backer.