Negotiators, mediators in Transnistria settlement will meet in Vienna

The negotiators and mediators in Transnistria settlement talks will meet on October 11 in Austria’s capital Vienna in a three-plus-two format to discuss resumption of the five-plus-two talks. During a recent visit to Moldova, OSCE chair-in-office Miguel Angel Moratinos expressed hope that the parties would cooperate and agree at least on the framework and reference points for the future talks. He also stated that the Spanish OSCE chairmanship would do its best to see the talks resumed. The five-plus-two talks were halted in late February 2006, after Chisinau and Tiraspol clashed over several issues, in particular the problem of the peasants in Dorotcaia village that were prohibited by the Transnistrian authorities from farming their land. Several attempts to resume the negotiations have failed, with both arguing sides pointing fingers at each other.