PM Vlad Filat says he was pleased by the openness of the conversation he had with Transnistria's de facto leader Igor Smirnov during an informal meeting in Germany, but also with the discussions held during a more formal conference organized by the OSCE in the same place, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The discussions were very positive from my point of view, considering the situation we have. The setting in which these discussions were held was an effective one. The tete-a-tete conversation I had with Igor Smirnov was also open, without any negative energy. This doesn't necessarily mean that our views totally concur on the next steps that need to be taken, but it's important we have an opportunity to communicate. Dialogue lays at the foundation of any progress and this dialogue has been achieved through painstaking and hard work”, Vlad Filat told a post-meeting news conference. The Moldovan premier said that, despite disagreements on some issues during the meeting, consensus has been reached on one essential principle – that everything should be done to remove barriers related to communication, education, culture, sports and other issues between the two sides of the Nistru River. Vlad Filat expressed his optimism about the odds of resuming formal 5+2 negotiations following a meeting scheduled for September 22 in Moscow. “All the 5+2 participants have stated that the number one priority now is to resume official negotiations. And I look toward September 22 with optimism”, said the Moldovan premier. Besides discussing issues like resumption of freight rail traffic via Transnistria and restoration of telephone and postal links, Vlad Filat said he also talked with Igor Smirnov about the case of Ilie Cazac, who was sentenced to a heavy imprisonment term for “spying for Moldova”.