Sides will respect five principles in 5+2 talks

The participants in the Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format will obey five principles, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Eugen Carpov said in a news conference, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. The sides will refrain from imposing conditions. When examining the subjects, they will show political will and will carry out a consistent dialogue in a constructive spirit. The third principle refers to the fact that the standard principle will be applied when working out a document. “It is a technical principle. If two-three elements are agreed in a document and there are other elements that cannot be agreed, the document can be applied only when all the aspects are agreed,” said the Deputy Prime Minster. The fourth principle says that the sides will consciously fulfill the reached agreements. The fifth principle is the principle of equality. “This principle says that the negotiations are held on the basis of equality and mutual respect between all the seven participants. This principle does not refer to the participants’ status, because it is very different, and to the results we expect in the negotiation process. It refers strictly to the meted of conducting the negotiations,” stated Eugen Carpov. The principle of freedom guarantees every side’s right to put forward proposals or to raise any subject considered important for the negotiation process. “This principle does not represent a precedent for settling the Transnistrian conflict and cannot serve as basis for assessing the existent legal status of the sides. It does not refer to possible equality between one or two participants as, if we accept such an approach, Tiraspol and Chisinau could be regarded as having equal status and we will have to accept the idea that Tiraspol and the U.S. for example have the same status, which is absurd,” said the Deputy Prime Minister. The principles were laid down in a document titled “Principles and Procedures for the Conduct of the Talks” that was adopted in the third round of the talks held in Vienna on April 17-18.