Separatist authorities not willing to resume talks

The situation occurred as a result of the pressure and threats against one of the parties participating in the Transnistrian talks can not be considered by Tiraspol as favourable for the resumption of the negotiations, says a statement from the so-called minister of Foreign Affairs of Transnistria Valeri Litkai, sent to the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. In this statement, Moldova is accused of disrupting negotiations a year ago, and of instituting the so-called blockade of March 2006 etc. Authorities of the breakaway region say they still do not know the standpoint of the present OSCE chairman, although he was to pay a visit to Tiraspol after the Madrid meeting. At the same time, Transnistrian authorities say they did not receive the settlement plan announced in fall 2006 by the Belgian Presidency of OSCE, as well as the agenda of the possible “5+2” format meeting. The “5+2” format meeting was scheduled for February 15-16. The Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Ambassador Louis O’Neill, was disappointed about the lack of consensus among the mediators in the Transnistrian settlement process about the resumption of talks. Also, Chisinau officially voiced its disappointment and bewilderment in connection with the failure in organising the Transnistrian settlement talks. The last round of negotiations took place in late February 2006. The parties involved in the dispute did not reach an agreement on several issues, especially concerning the problem of the land in farms in Dorotcaia village, which is located in the zone controlled by the separatist authorities.