Mediation is the simplest method of settling disputes between parties amicably. The mediator tries to help the conflicting sides to resolve the conflict, jurist and mediator Aurelia Irodoi said at an assessment conferee of mediators on September 25, Info-Prim Neo reports. Igor Dolea, the head of the Institute for Penal Reform, said that Moldova's legislation provides for settling disputes by mediation. “Such laws as the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code can be applied in such situations. The Law on Mediation adopted in 2007 gave mediation a legal status and defines the position of mediator. It also regulates the activity of the mediation council,” the director said, adding that he mediation council formulated a series of regulations concerning mediation. According to Cristina Beldiga, project coordinator at the Institute for Penal Reform, training seminars for 56 mediators were held in September. They were given by mediation experts from Moldova and abroad. The participants received mediation certificates and can work as part of different legal cases. Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution that aims to assist two (or more) disputants in reaching an agreement. The parties themselves determine the conditions of any settlements reached, rather than accepting something imposed by a third party. The disputes may involve (as parties) states, organizations, communities, individuals or other representatives with a vested interest in the outcome.