“The settlement of the Transnistrian issue depends on the relations between the great powers and, as long as the Russian Federation openly supports the Transnistrian regime, including at the talks in the 5+2 format, it is evident that we will be unable to move on,” former deputy minister of foreign affairs Valeriu Chiveri said in an interview for Radio Free Europe, quoted by IPN.

Valeriu Chiveri stated that no meeting in the 5+2 format has taken place for a year. The Transnistrians impose different conditions for taking part in the talks, without taking into account the fact that when the principles of negotiation in this format were worked out, one of the principles was ‘without conditions’. Asked what the purpose of the negotiations in this format is if no results are achieved, Valeriu Chiveri said the logic is simple: better a bad peace than a war. Furthermore, the possibility of reaching a consensus on particular important issues could appear in time.

The former deputy minister also said that the presence of the Russian troops in the region represents direct support for the Transnistrian regime. The official Chisinau always promoted the idea that the pullout of the Russian troops from Moldova’s territory and the Transnistrian conflict settlement are two parallel processes that do not intersect each other, even if they influence each other.

As regards Russia’s demand to give the Transnistrian region a special status, Valeriu Chiveri said the geostrategic situation has changed. “Ukraine is no longer the country that existed before 2013, when it tacitly supported the Transnistrian regime and tolerated particular activities of the Transnistrians - I refer to smuggling - and Russia’s military presence, while the logistic support was provided through Ukraine. It no longer happens so,” he stated.