OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s Special Representative for the Transnistrian Settlement Process Franco Frattini will travel to the Republic of Moldova from 26 to 28 March 2018 in his first visit to the country in this capacity. He will hold talks with top-level Moldovan officials and leadership in Tiraspol, including both Chief Negotiators, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the OSCE Mission to Moldova.

He will also meet with resident ambassadors of the “5+2” negotiation format. Since assuming his role at the beginning of 2018, Frattini has been in regular contact with the Sides and international partners engaged in the Settlement Process. The Special Representative’s adviser, Alfredo Conte, travelled to Moldova in February and held a range of meetings to prepare for Frattini’s visit.

In an interview with Radio Free Europe’s Moldovan Service recently, Franco Frattini said there is a clear difference between the trilateral Moldovan-Russian-Transnistrian peacekeeping forces and the Operational Group of Russian Forces in Moldova. He reiterated that the OSCE is further ready to support the process of withdrawing and disposing of the Russian munitions that was stopped in 2004, if and when this is resumed.