Moldovan-Russian consultations in Moscow focused on security issues

Moldova-Russian consultations held in Moscow on 31 January and 1 February centered on stability and security issues. The parties discussed the prospects for maintaining the stability and strengthening the security of Moldova by implementing constitutional provisions regarding the permanent neutrality, the strengthening of trust between Chisinau and Tiraspol, the prospects for resuming in the nearest future the negotiations in the 5+2 format on the Transnistria settlement, the presidential press service informs, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. The cited source does not give any details about the conclusions drawn by the participants in the talks and does not quote statements made during the meetings. The Moldovan delegation included the Presidential Adviser on political matters, Mark Tkaciuk, Reintegration Minister, Vasili Shova, Moldova’s Ambassador to Russia, Vasile Sturza, head of the Treaties Division of the Foreign Ministry’s International Law Department Dumitru Socolan. The Russian side was represented by: Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Iuri Zubakov, special representative for CIS affairs Valeri Keneaikin, Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry's ambassador for special missions Valeri Nesterushkin, Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry’s deputy head of the II Department for CIS countries Nikolai Fomin. On 30 January, the presidential press service announced that a Moldovan delegation was visiting Moscow to “continue talks in the spirit of the agreements reached by Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin and Russian President Vladimir Putin”, without going into details. Vladimir Voronin and Vladimir Putin met in Moscow on 22 January. Experts say that like previous meetings of the two presidents, this one was also shrouded in mystery. Very few information about the topics discussed at that meeting was given publicity.