Chisinau-Tiraspol working groups to resume activity from February 11

The political representatives of Chisinau and Tiraspol decided at a meeting held yesterday, February 8, in Tiraspol to restart the activity of the joint working groups, with the first meeting being scheduled for February 11, Victor Osipov, Moldova's deputy prime minister responsible for reintegration, told a press briefing today, Info-Prim Neo reports. The meeting in Tiraspol was not a simple reunion of the political representatives, but an event which is expected to relaunch an important direction of the confidence-building process between the two sides. The event was honored by the Kazakh chairmanship of the OSCE as well as diplomatic representatives of the countries involved in the 5+2 talks, which is yet another demonstration of the importance that is attached to this event, said Osipov The goal of the meeting was to bring the leaders of the working groups together. An exchange of opinions took place between them and it was agreed upon a schedule of meetings, which will be held in Tiraspol, Tighina and Chisinau. The first meeting is planned to take place on February 11, followed by a meeting on February 25. “We hope very much that the resumption of the activity (of the working groups) will produce ideas, projects for the problems related to the difficult situation in the eastern region. The proposed solutions, the initiatives will be an opportunity to make use of the foreign assistance offered by the EU, USAID and other partners”, said Osipov. According to him, the interest displayed during the meeting was great from both sides, and the communication between the leaders of the joint working groups was intense and more open than before. However, Victor Osipov said that there are not only positive developments in the settlement of the Transnistrian issue. Not all the structures on the eastern side of the Nistru agree with the reconciliation. Osipov referred in particular to the security agency in Tiraspol, mentioning a recent case where a number of persons were illegally arrested by men carrying guns in the so-called Security Zone, which is unacceptable. “This case compromises the progress that we are trying to achieve with great effort”, Osipov said. Osipov went on to add that he discussed with the representatives of the local authorities of Dubasari, whom he urged to advise the residents that caution is needed “in the vicinity of a regime that has no international responsibility and where intervention is virtually impossible”.