Victor Osipov calls on foreign partners to convince Transnistrian leadership to come to negotiation table

“Chisinau is ready to resume stalled talks on the resolution of the Transnistrian conflict,” Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Victor Osipov said Wednesday in the OSCE summit held in Astana, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting Ria Novosti. “Using this [the OSCE summit] opportunity, we would like to reiterate our call for the resumption of official talks in the “5+2” format to work out a comprehensive solution of the Transnistrian conflict on the basis of Moldova's sovereignty and integrity,” Osipov said. “We are open [to discussion] and ask our partners to help us convince the Transnistrian leadership to come to the negotiation table,” he said. The Deputy Prime Minister, who is leading the Moldovan delegation to the summit, stressed that despite the challenges, the constitutional authorities showed they are ready to pursue a policy based on dialogue and confidence. “We aim to ensure the free movement of the persons, goods and services between the banks of the Nistru River and to deal with all the difficulties faced by the residents of the region,” Victor Osipov said. The talks on the future of Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria in the "5+2" format, involving Russia, Ukraine, OSCE, Moldova, Transnistria, with the United States and the EU as observers, have been frozen since February 2006. The Astana Summit brings together 38 Heads of State and Government, one Vice President, seven Deputy Prime Ministers, 14 Ministers and other top officials from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, as well as from other international and regional organizations. The Summit is the OSCE's first since the Istanbul Summit in 1999. Plenary sessions will continue until 2 December.