Foreign partners in favor of resuming 5+2 talks this year

Moldova’s foreign partners manifest firm support for resuming the official Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format this year, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Andrei Popov, who had consultations with OSCE officials on March 18 and 19, Info-Prim Neo reports. Andrei Popov had meetings with the ambassador of Kazakhstan, which holds the chairmanship of the OSCE, the OSCE secretary general and the ambassador of Lithuania, which will take over the OSCE presidency. He also met with the ambassadors of the UK, Russia, the U.S., France, Romania, Sweden and Poland accredited to the OSCE. According to a communiqué from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Andrei Popov informed his interlocutors about the political situation in Moldova and the efforts made by the authorities to implement structural reforms. The diplomats from Vienna were familiarized with the foreign policy priorities and the steps taken by the Government to stimulate the Transnistrian conflict settlement process and the country’s reintegration. The foreign partners welcomed the resumption of the activity of the working groups for building confidence between Chisinau and Tiraspol and urged taking measures aimed at strengthening the interaction between the two banks of the river Nistru. The OSCE officials reiterated that the Transnistrian dispute should be resolved by respecting Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the communiqué says.