TIRASPOL LEADER MEETS AMERICAN AMBASSADOR

The Transnistrian Moldovan Republic [PMR] stands ready to continue contacts with Moldovan partners both at the level of expert-groups activities and at the level of the sides’ political representatives in the format of 1+1, PMR president Yevgeny Shevchuk stated during his first meeting with the new United States Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Moldova, Mr. James D. Pettit.

According to the Transnistrian presidential website, Shevchuk expressed hope that now, upon the formation of a new government in Moldova, Tiraspol and Chisinau will begin “a fruitful process of joint work aimed at lifting the existing problematic processes”.

Yevgeny Shevchuk said Transnistria had sent a number of proposals to participants in the 5+2 format negotiations [Moldova and Transnistria as the conflicting sides, Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE as international mediators and guarantors; and the European Union and the United States as observers], first and foremost to Moldovan partners.

The Tiraspol leader believes that with an account of the economic situations in Moldova and Transnistria and of regional problems, it is important to de-block the possibilities of the Transnistrian and Moldovan economies so as to engage, in the current crisis conditions, the parties’ greater resource to withstand the crisis.

Shevchuk stressed that such step should be undertaken first of all for improving the wellbeing of the people residing in the PMR and RM, and that “there is a substantial potential that can be used within the negotiation framework to begin solving the problems”.

According to the presidential website, the interlocutors called their meeting “constructive” and expressed hope for productive cooperation in the future.