Javier Solana hopes that EU and Ukraine will spur negotiations on Transnistria

Javier Solana, High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy stressed the EU's commitment “to achieve a settlement for the Transnistrian conflict that has not been solved for too long”. According to a press release from the EU Council, Solana made this statement within a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Iushchenko, in Brussels. Mentioning the current EU support for the region, in particular the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine, Mr Solana referred to Ukraine's responsibility for a settlement of the conflict as well as his hope that the EU and Ukraine would be able to give a new impulse to the settlement negotiations. 5+2 format negotiations were blocked a year ago because of the disagreement between the parties in the conflict. Several attempts to resume negotiations failed, including the one in February.