Russia is trying to transform the Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format into an instrument for exerting pressure on Moldova, considers the executive director of the Foreign Policy Association (APE) Victor Chirila. The expert stated his position on the talks in this format that took place in Berlin on June 2 in an interview for Radio Free Europe, IPN reports.
“It is a conjunction of circumstances and interests that help Russia use this format as an instrument for exerting pressure in Chisinau. This does not mean that the others listen to and do what Russia tells them to do or that Russia has a plan. There is a context of circumstances that favor this and this context is, as I said, the wish to the OSCE Mission to show progress and to put into practice a new tactic,” said the foreign policy expert.
Victor Chirila considers that the position of the OSCE is incorrect. According to him, the pressure applied for resuming the talks in the 5+2 format was rather big because Germany wants to show that it does something while holding the chairmanship of the OSCE. “The tactic pursued by the OSCE Mission now seems incorrect and dangerous to me. Incorrect because they consider that Chisinau has the biggest interest and thus must show openness and must take unilateral decisions within the limits of the political status that it is already ready to offer. This will be reasonable if Tiraspol takes steps towards reunification and towards finding a compromise,” he stated.
According to the APE director, the Moldovan diplomatic service didn’t show professionalism when preparing the talks in Berlin. “Our diplomatic service must create favorable conditions for our negotiator to discuss, to have a ratio of forces at the negotiating table that would favor our agenda or the promotion of our interests. Regretfully, our diplomatic service didn’t do this,” said Victor Chirila.
The Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format were resumed after a hiatus of two years. The last round of such talks was held in Vienna in June 2014.
