​REINTEGRATION PREMIER STATES MOLDOVA'S READINESS TO 5+2 NEGOTIATIONS

Moldova’s Political Representative at the Transnistria negotiations, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Affairs Gheorghe Balan met with the Special Representative of the Austrian OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transnistrian Settlement Process, Ambassador Wolf Dietrich Heim, on Thursday and stated Moldova’s readiness to resume the 5+2 format negotiations on Transnistrian conflict settlement.

Balan outlined problems, which Chisinau believes should be solved in the nearest future within the conflict settlement frame: to ensure Moldovan farmers’ access to their private farmlands situated in a Transnistria-controlled zone; to create proper work conditions for Latin-script Moldova-administered schools in Transnistria; to ensure free movement for people, cargoes and services; and to open the strategic bridge across the Dniester River near the villages of Bicioc and Gura Bicului.

“The Moldovan side is ready for active dialog for resolving the said problems and achieving concrete results that could lead to organization of a 5+2 format meeting”, the Moldovan deputy prime minister said and spoke for the functioning of all available platforms of negotiations on Transnistrian conflict settlement.

The interlocutors discussed also Moldova and Ukraine’s intention to organize, from next October, a joint border control at the Pervomaisk-Cuciurgan border-crossing station at the Transnistrian segment of the Moldo-Ukrainian border.

Wolf Dietrich Heim expressed hope for more active activities of Chisinau and Tiraspol representatives in the 1+1 format, which he believes should lead to concrete results that would be used as a basis for the next 5+2 round of negotiations.

Gheorghe Balan and Wolf Dietrich Heim discussed questions of organization of the traditional Bavaria Conference on measures of building up trust between the Dniester River banks, which has been held annually since 2009.

After having a series of meetings in Chisinau, Wolf Dietrich Heim went to Tiraspol to meet with Transnistria’s Chief Negotiator, the region’s minister of foreign affairs Vitaly Ignatiev.