Ukraine’s newly appointed special representative on the Transdniestrian settlement process, Viktor Kryzhanovskiy, announced his support for efforts to resume the 5+2 talks at a meeting with Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Gheorghe Balan on September 12, the press service of the Moldovan government’s Bureau for Reintegration told Interfax.
Kryzhanovskiy said that he intended to use his whole experience and strength to “advance the negotiation process and facilitate a constructive, transparent and open dialogue.”
“Ukraine unconditionally supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova and stands ready to assist it in any way,” the diplomat said.
Balan, for his part, identified the main issues on the agenda and outlined Chisinau’s approaches to them, including steps to remove obstacles to the free movement of people and cargo between the two Dniestr banks, create necessary conditions for the proper functioning of Moldovan schools using the Latin-based script in the Transdniestrian region, restore access for farmers from the Dubasari district to their agricultural land, and opening of a bridge over the Dniestr River near the villages of Bicioc and Gura Bicului.
Balan also reiterated the “need to continue talks within all existing platforms and the need for more active involvement by all participants in the dialogue, noting that Moldova offers its support to Ukraine in this process.”
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko appointed Kryzhanovskiy Kyiv’s special representative on the Transdniestrian settlement process at the end of August. Kryzhanovsky is familiar with the Transdniestrian problem as he already held this post in 2008-2010.
