OSCE Mission Head satisfied with pace of Transnistrian conflict settlement negotiations

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Jennifer Brush is satisfied with the pace of the Transnistrian conflict settlement negotiations, given her background in conflict resolution. In an interview for Info-Prim Neo of the series “Year 2012 in Moldova’s and Moldovans’ life” {that was published on December 12, 2012}, Jennifer Brush said the sides are now discussing difficult issues. “I can say that it’s the job of the mass media to want things to happen more quickly. But I'm actually quite satisfied with the pace and the tempo of the negotiations, given my background in conflict resolution. There've been a number of 5+2 meetings where a number of issues have been discussed and agreed to, including the principles and procedures, the agenda, an agreement on nostrification and, very importantly, an agreement to have two fora established: a forum on civil society and the media, and a forum on human rights,” said Jennifer Brush. She also said that both sides agreed earlier in the process that freedom of movement and education were two important issues that needed to be discussed. They've had a number of discussions on both issues that have really isolated the remaining issues that need to be resolved, and those issues are difficult. “I don’t think that there is stagnation. The two Chief Negotiators, Eugen Carpov and Nina Shtanski, after the last session of the 5+2 talks agreed to meet on a weekly basis, and although they haven't managed to meet on a weekly basis, they've met more frequently between these two sessions than before any other session. That's not stagnation. The working groups have met three times more frequently this year than they met last year. That's not stagnation. In fact, we are really in the thick of discussing some very difficult problems, which was not happening at the beginning of the year; at the beginning of the year we were talking about principles and procedures and the agenda, we weren't talking about issues,” stated the Ambassador. The series of interviews “Year 2012 in Moldova’s and Moldovans’ life” that was launched by Info-Prim Neo on December 6 was opened by Prime Minister Vlad Filat. The interview with the chairman of the Communist Party Vladimir Voronin followed afterward. The next interviews will contain opinions about the performance of the passing year stated by Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar, Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca, Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov, expert of the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT Corneliu Gurin, director of the National Anticorruption Center Viorel Chetraru, head of the Community of Moldovans in Quebec Ala Mandacanu, and singer Cristofor Aldea Teodorovici.