The Sides involved in the Transnistrian Settlement Process committed themselves in Vienna to provide solutions to the problem of registration of vehicles in the Transnistrian region so that these are admitted to international road traffic and to the problem of free movement of persons, goods and services between the two sides of the Nistru. As a result of the discussions in the 5+2 format, there was signed a protocol that will serve as a basis for holding the future negotiations, IPN reports.
At the end of the meeting held under the aegis of the Austrian OSCE Chairmanship, the participants welcomed the progress made in the dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol, mentioning the agreements on the opening of the Gura Bicului – Bychok Bridge, apostilling of university diplomas issued in Transnistrian, ensuring of the normal functioning of Romanian-language schools, restoration of telephone connection between the two banks of the Nistru and ensuring of free access to the farmland located beyond the Tiraspol-Rybnitsa road. Ambassador Michael Scanlan, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, said that an active dialogue between the Sides, including with the population, has been ensured during the past few months.
Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Gheorghe Balan, chief negotiator to the Transnistrian Settlement Process on behalf of Chisinau, said the efforts made by the Moldovan authorities to achieve results through the agency of the sector working groups, after many years of stagnation, enabled to identify viable solutions to pressing problems faced by the people from both sides of the Nistru. “We should focus not on periods for solving the existent problems, but on the quality of solutions,” stated Gheorghe Balan.
The chief negotiator to the Transnistrian Settlement Process on behalf of Tiraspol Vitaly Ignatiev said he is glad that the discussions in the 5+2 format were held on a positive note and, owing to the political will and common understanding, they managed to solve a number of problems. The constructive dialogue is better than the conflict. Tiraspol considers the discussions on the subjects covered by the Berlin Protocol should be continued and they should work to identify solutions to ensure the free movement of vehicles registered in Transnistrian from next February already.
