Ambassador Kelly Keiderling, appointed by the Polish OSCE Chairmanship as the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, takes office today, October 3. She will also serve as the OSCE mediator in the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, IPN reports, quoting the OSCE Mission to Moldova.

“I am excited to assume this important post at this fluid and challenging time for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process. I look forward to working with the authorities in Chisinau and Tiraspol, and the other 5+2 participants to continue and nurture the negotiations for the reintegration of Transdniestria into the Republic of Moldova. The OSCE Mission’s mandate - to settle the Transdniestrian conflict in all its aspects - remains the noble goal of the OSCE participating States,” said Keiderling. 

Previously, Ambassador Keiderling served as U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau, Moldova, and Deputy Chief of Mission and intermittently as Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. Ambassador Keiderling has held diplomatic positions at U.S. missions to Kyrgyzstan, Cuba, Botswana, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, and Zambia, as well as multiple positions in Washington, D.C. Her intellectual interests include societies in transition, effective communication, and diplomatic tradecraft.

The key priorities of the OSCE Mission to Moldova is to help achieve a lasting, comprehensive political settlement of the Transdniestrian conflict based on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders, with a special status for Transdniestria.

The mandate of the OSCE Mission to Moldova is endorsed and renewed every year by all 57 OSCE participating States, including the Republic of Moldova. Ambassador Keiderling succeeds Dr. Claus Neukirch who completed his term as Head of Mission in September.