September 25 (SeeNews) - The industrial output of Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria in the first eight months of 2007 rose by 57% on the year, Transdniestria's Economy Ministry said on Tuesday.
The region's industrial production through August totalled $506.5 million (359.4 million euro), the ministry said in a statement.
The power generating sector's output through August rose 76.7% on the year. The output of the region's main industrial sector, ferrous metallurgy, was 59.1% higher than a year earlier. The ministry said 25 local companies halted operations over the past eight months.
Transdniestria is located on the left bank of the River Dniestr in eastern Moldova. It broke away from Moldova in 1990 as its largely Slavic, pro-Russian population feared that the country's Romanian-speaking majority would unite the country with neighbouring Romania.
($=0.7095 euro)