Russia's line on Moldova rebel region "unchanged"

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Kosovo's independence has not changed Moscow's attitude to ex-Soviet Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

Some observers have said that Russia could recognize the independence of separatist regions on the territory of its former Soviet neighbors after Western states' decided to grant recognition to Kosovo.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko, briefing reporters after Putin met Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin in Moscow, said Russia's attitude to Transdniestria had not changed.

"The president (Putin) discussed the recent self-proclamation of independence by Kosovo which will indeed affect the situation in Europe," Prikhodko said.

"But President Putin unequivocally confirmed that Russia is ready for cooperation with the Moldovan leadership and the leadership of Transdniestria in the search for a solution to this issue."

"The themes and modality of today's talks have not changed at all," Prikhodko said.

Transdniestria is a sliver of land which broke away from Moldova in a brief war in 1991. The area has a population of around 550,000 mainly Russian-speaking Slavs who feared Moldova's Romanian-speaking majority would one day push to join Romania to the south.

Around 1,200 Russian soldiers are stationed in Transdniestria which covers around an eighth of Moldova but most of the former Soviet state's industrial base.

(Reporting by Oleg Shchedrov; writing by Christian Lowe; editing by Elizabeth Piper)