The key negotiators at the Transnistrian conflict settlement talks of Chisinau and Tiraspol, Gheorghe Balan and Vitaly Ignatiev, met at the OSCE Mission in Chisinau on October 13. They discussed the prospect of holding a new round of talks in the 5+2 format at the end of this month, IPN reports.

Vitaly Ignatiev said the dialogue with Chisinau is stagnant in the areas of free movement and transport. “We spoke about education but, regrettably, the experts of the Moldovan working group weren’t ready to come up with a final decision about the recognition of the university diplomas issued in Transnistria. As regards the dialogue within the other groups of experts, the situation is better. Last week, we asked for a meeting of the experts of the working groups on railway transport, but the partners refused,” he stated.

He noted that the Transnistrian side sustains losses because the railway transport bypasses the Transnistrian segment, while Moldova, by unilaterally changing the logistic basis with the support of Ukraine, earned revenues of half a million US dollars during the last three months. This is an abnormal situation that cannot continue. Therefore they are eager to have a new meeting in the 5+2 talks so as to discuss the related problems.

Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Gheorghe Balan said all the international partners and Chisinau plead for such a meeting, but insist that this should be with substance. “We are ready to have such meetings, but we should prepare particular materials that would be processed and finalized in them so that the meetings are with substance and contribute to the reunification of the Republic of Moldova and the resolution of the Transnistrian conflict,” he stated.

Gheorghe Balan also said that they discussed the problem of Moldovan-administered, Latin-script schools in Transnistria. The representatives of the official Chisinau asked to avoid exerting pressure on students and teachers and hampering the implementation of international projects in the region. They also discussed the access of peasants to their plots of land in Dubasari district and requested to return to the accord of 2006.

The last round of talks was held this June, after a pause of two years, when the so-called Berlin protocol was signed. By signing this, Chisinau and Tiraspol pledged to continue and extend the talks on a number of issues, such as the license plates of Transnistrian vehicles, telecommunications and criminal cases.