Tiraspol reiterates its non-participation in negotiations of regulating Transnistrian conflict in format „5+2”

Negotiations in format „5+2” will not be held very soon, Valerii Litkai, foreign minister of unrecognised separatist republic, announced about this at a press conference held on Tuesday, 14 March, in Tiraspol. This statement is made after a week when the separatist leader, Igor Smirnov, has announced that Transnistrian part leaves the negotiations, according to Olvia-Press. According to it, Litkai said that „the negotiations are in shadow, and in a crisis situation all mechanisms fly over the aboard.” The negotiations will be held, and are held already in a special regime, when crisis negotiation mechanisms are involved, in order to solve operatively the current problems, the representative of Tiraspol noted during the negotiations. Now the Transnistrian administration negotiates with Ukraine and Russia, and sometimes with OSCE, he underlined. At its turn, Russia negotiates with Ukraine, and the latter one with USA. Then it will be organised a crisis conference in Moscow, where it will sign a protocol regarding the new customs regime at Moldovan-Ukrainian border. This protocol will put the end to attempts to block economically Transnistria, Litkai noted. Claus Neukirch, spokesman of OSCE in Moldova, reported that the period 4-5 April for the next negotiation round was discussed about the mediators and negotiators, but parts were not invited yet. regarding the statements of leaders of Tiraspol, the Mission will be able to comment them and to take attitude only if they announce officially that they leave the negotiations. Sources of the Ministry of Reintegration also did not comment the announce repeated by Litkai, mentioning that the date for negotiations was set definitely, and „statements of Litkai and Smirnov are only statements.” Smirnov announced on 7 March that Transnistria would not attend the negotiations as result of implementation of the new customs regime at Moldovan-Ukrainian border. On the other hand, on 10 March, at OSCE Permanent Council, EU and USA called Tiraspol to be ready for „serious discussions” and to address appropriately the subjects of the agenda of negotiations held on subjects 4-5 April 2006.