Mediators and observers of Transnistrian dispute plead in favor of resuming talks

Mediators and negotiators in the Transnistrian dispute plead in favor of resuming “5+2” talks. In the light of this event, a meeting of the Chisinau’s and Tiraspol’s representatives is planned. Ukraine and EU is pleading for resuming talks as soon as possible. According to the press from Kiev, this declaration was made at the meeting of the Ukrainian foreign minister, the special representative of Ukraine for the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict Andrei Veselovskii, Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged, the special representative of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova and the head of the EU Border Assistance Mission, Ferenc Banfi. The participants confirmed that their position regarding the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict remains unchanged and they plead in favor of a peaceful settlement of the conflict and of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. At the same time, Ukraine announced that it will not suspend the present Moldovan-Ukrainian customs regime and the EU will contribute at improving the activity of the EU Mission at the border. At the same time, the special missions’ ambassador of the Russian foreign ministry, Valeri Nesteruskin declared in Moscow that the mediators of the conflict intend to organize in September 2006 a meeting with the representatives of Moldova and Transnistria to discuss the issue on unblocking the negotiation process. According to Nesteruskin, a meeting of the mediators, observers and the involved parties will be necessary in September in order to find possibilities allowing resuming talks. The diplomat said that at present there are no contacts between Chisinau and Tiraspol. “The mediators maintain and intensive popular diplomacy and attempt drafting a method which would allow launching again the dialogue”, Nesteruskin declared. The cited source mentioned that because of the blocked situation and of the lack of dialogue, financial loss occurs. The Russian official declared that as a result of introducing on March 3 the new customs regime at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, Transnistria lost over USD 260 mln. Solutions must be found so that this negative process could end, the diplomat said. The “5+2” format negotiations were halted at the end of February as a result of the dispute related to the issue of Dorotcaia’s peasants, who are not allowed to cultivate agricultural cultures in the zone controlled by the regime of Igor Smirnov.