Transnistrian problem can be solved only through negotiations – OSCE chairman

The negotiation process in settling down the Transnistrian conflict is the single peaceful solution, by respecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova and giving Transnistria a special statute. The declaration belongs to the OSCE chairman, the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Karl de Gucht, who paid an official visit to Chisinau. At a joint press conference with the Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrei Stratan, Karel de Gucht called the parts to negotiations and promised that the Belgian OSCE Chairmanship will do everything possible to solve the Transnistrian dispute. As regards to the withdrawal of the Russian munitions out of the territory of the Republic of Moldova, the minister declared that this is a task which can be accomplished in 3 moths and OSCE included for this a 10 million USD budget. Regarding the Peace-keeping forces from the Transnistrian region, the diplomat declared for replacing them with a multinational mission, which will monitor both the border and munitions. De Gucht announced that Belgium sent in the Transnistrian region a team of constitutionalist experts who draw up a report and will further make proposals on the statue of the region. The chairman of OSCE appreciated the success scored by the EU Moldovan-Ukrainian border assistance mission, fact that excludes returning to the previous system. The diplomat urged the Administration from Tiraspol to stop opposing the new enterprise registering system and the authorities from Chisinau to be flexible in the system’s implementation process. On Thursday morning, June 1, the Belgian minister met with the president Vladimir Voronin. The meeting lasted more than one hour. Afterwards, de Gucht declared to the press that he discussed a series of issues regarding the Transnistrian conflict, restating the declarations made previously. De Gucht took off for Tiraspol were he will meet with the leader of the self-proclaimed Moldovan-Nistrean Republic Igor Smirnov and afterwards will leave for Kiev.