The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transnistrian Settlement Process, Franco Frattini, handed over the first Moldovan neutral-design license plates to four first applicants at a Vehicle Registration Office (VRO) in Tiraspol on September 10. Frattini is visiting Moldova on 9 and 10 September to mark a new milestone achieved by the Sides in the Transnistrian Settlement Process, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the OSCE Mission to Moldova.
Chisinau and Tiraspol have met the commitment they made in the 5+2 Rome Protocol of 30 May to open two VROs on 1 September in line with the 24 April Agreement on a mechanism for the participation of vehicles from Transnistria in international road traffic. Located in the left-bank cities of Tiraspol and Ribnita, the two offices were opened with funding from the Italian OSCE Chairmanship and the OSCE Mission to Moldova.
“A fully operational mechanism that allows vehicles to participate in international road traffic brings tangible benefits to the population. It is a confirmation of the commendable engagement and political will of the leaderships in Chisinau and Tiraspol to make progress in the settlement process,” Special Representative Frattini said. “The Agreement implemented reaffirms my full confidence that the Sides will honor the remaining commitments from the 5+2 Rome Protocol to close the outstanding priorities from the ‘package of eight’ related to telecommunications, criminal cases and the freedom of movement.”
The representatives of the 5+2 format present at the event applauded the Sides for the implementation of the fifth agreement from the “package of eight”. The remaining agreements are expected to be finalized by the Sides by the end of 2018.
Commenting on the event, the OSCE mediator and new Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Claus Neukirch, praised Chisinau and Tiraspol for following the output-based approach to advancing the negotiations. “It is very reassuring to see how the outputs of the tireless efforts undertaken by the Sides on the ground are benefiting the lives of people on both banks,” Neukirch said.
Since the beginning of 2018, in addition to the license plate agreement, the Sides have implemented agreements on the access to the Dubasari farmland, the functioning of Latin-script schools on the left bank, the apostilization of Transnistrian university diplomas and the opening of the Gura Bicului – Bychok bridge. With the resolution of the issues related to the freedom of movement, criminal cases and the implementation of the telecommunication agreement, the Sides will have met their commitment, documented in the 5+2 Rome Protocol, to have fully finalized the “package of eight” by the end of 2018.
