Radojko Bogojevic, the special representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office for the Transdniestrian settlement process, calls for continuing negotiations on settling the conflict in the 5+2 format.
“The holding of the upcoming 5+2 talks would send a positive signal on the prospects of reducing tensions,” the OSCE quoted Bogojevic as saying following negotiations he held in Chisinau and Tiraspol on Thursday and Friday, during which he met with Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration and Moldovan chief negotiator Eugen Carpov, Transdniestrian Foreign Minister and chief negotiator Nina Stanski, and members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Moldova.
“Despite any political developments related to Ukraine, we trust that these won’t significantly affect the substance, course or the agenda in the planned upcoming 5+2 negotiations and we hope that all sides in the process will show a constructive approach,” Bogojevic said.
The next round of the 5+2 talks on Transdniestria is scheduled for September 11-12 in Vienna, pending final confirmation from all participants, he said.
“Bogojevic emphasized the importance of frequent contacts and encouraged the two chief negotiators to make as much progress as possible on a number of issues currently on the table that would have tangible positive impact on the lives of people on both sides of the Dniestr/Nistru,” it said.
“Among the key topics discussed in the meetings were the Moldovan-administered Latin-script schools, economic cooperation, criminal cases against Transdniestrian officials by Moldovan law-enforcement bodies and freedom of movement issues,” it said.
The 5+2 negotiations scheduled for September 11-12 in Vienna have been jeopardized as the potential negotiators have still not confirmed their participation. Transdniestrian Foreign Minister Stanski said on Friday that Transdniestria favored more intensive “shuttle diplomacy” in looking for ways to settle the conflict and believes that a meeting of all participants in the 5+2 talks in Tiraspol or Chisinau would be much more useful than in Vienna.
The OSCE representative proposed that two rounds of negotiations could be held, one in Vienna in September, as planned, and the other in Tiraspol or Chisinau in October. Stanski promised to inform Transdniestrian leader Eugen Sevciuc of this proposal.
This year has seen two rounds of negotiations on Transdniestria, although, according to the rules of procedure, such talks should be held once every two months. The first round took place in February and the second in June, both in Vienna, although it was originally planned that the parties would meet in Chisinau or Tiraspol. The April and July rounds were disrupted for various reasons because of disagreements between the parties.
