December 18 (SeeNews) - The industrial output of Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria rose by 54.5% on the year in the first 11 months of 2007, Transdniestria's Economy Ministry said on Tuesday.
The region's industrial production through November totalled $727.8 million (505 million euro), the ministry said in a statement.
The output of the power generating sector rose by 52.6% on the year to $87.8 million for the first 11 months of 2007. The production of the region's main industrial sector, the ferrous metallurgy, was 66.5% higher than a year earlier at $340.4 million.
The ministry said 21 local companies have halted operations over the past 11 months.
Transdniestria is located on the left bank of the River Dniestr in eastern Moldova. It broke away from Moldova in 1990 as its largely Slavic, pro-Russian population feared that the country's Romanian-speaking majority would unite with neighbouring Romania.
($=0.694 euro)