Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Victor Osipov said there is a thaw in the negotiations with Tiraspol even if the process goes slowly and in a tense atmosphere. He made such a statement in the talk show “Moldova live” on the public TV channel Moldova 1, IPN reports.
According to Osipov, the relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol became particularly tense because the negotiation process had been blocked for a period. “If talks are not held, the problems accumulate. I think we managed to stimulate the negotiation process. It’s true that the process is very difficult, but if there are negotiations, there are results too. There are objective factors that make us believe that the Transnistrian side is also interested in continuing the negotiations,” he stated.
Victot Osipov said he considers the Transnistrian conflict can be settled by Moldova’s integration into the EU. “The separatist region’s economic interests are related to the European Union. 30% of the goods produced in Transnistria are sold on the right side of the Nistru River, while 40% - in the EU. There is also the interest of the people living in Transnistria, who face serious economic problems. For them, the biometric passport by which they can travel freely in the EU became attractive. Over 80,000 of Transnistria’s residents hold Moldovan biometric passports,” stated the Deputy Prime Minister.
