The OSCE Ministerial Council adopted a series of documents, including the ministerial statement on the Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format, at a meeting held in Switzerland’s Basel on December 4-5, IPN reports, quoting a communiqué of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.

The document reasserts the firm determination of the OSCE member states to identify a peaceful solution to the Transnistrian conflict, by respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova and by working out a special status for the Transnistrian region, which would guarantee the rights of the people from the region.

The Council voiced hope that the negotiations will make headway on the three thematic baskets included in the agenda of the 5+2 format talks. It encourages the intensification of contacts between Chisinau and Tiraspol and the holding of the talks on a regular basis.

The sides are encouraged to promote the confidence-building measures and to refrain from actions that could destabilize the situation in the region. The mediators and observers in the negotiation process are urged to intensify the coordinated efforts and to use the potential they have to make progress in achieving a comprehensive solution to the Transnistrian conflict.