MOLDOVA WELCOMES PRIORITIES OF 2018 ITALIAN OSCE PRESIDENCY

Strengthening multilateralism as an instrument to re-launch the 'spirit of Helsinki' and to further promote peace, security, stability and cooperation is Italy's key priority for its 2018 OSCE Chairmanship, Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano stated as he took up the post of the Chairperson-in-Office of the regional security organization.

Alfano said that under the motto of "Dialog, Ownership, Responsibility", the Italian OSCE Chairmanship's approach will be open, transparent and inclusive.

"Shared challenges require common solutions. We will seek to revive the 'spirit of Helsinki' not by turning to the past, but by demonstrating anew the determination that secured dialog even in the toughest years of the Cold War. The Italian Chairmanship will seek to lead all OSCE efforts to overcome divisions within and between participating States," he said.

"The crisis in and around Ukraine has called into question the very principles on which the OSCE is based. Italy will continue to support all OSCE efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict and urges the sides to fully implement the Minsk agreements," said Alfano.

Italy, he said, would also continue strengthening the OSCE's work to address other protracted conflicts through the existing formats: the Geneva International Discussions on dealing with the consequences of the 2008 conflict in Georgia; the 5+2 Transnistrian settlement talks; and the work of the Minsk Group and the efforts of its three Co-Chairs in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

According to the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the Moldovan delegation to the sitting confirmed the need to continue the 5+2 format negotiations on Transnistrian conflict settlement and spoke out for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the neighbor Ukraine.

The Moldovan Ministry welcomed the appointment of Italy's former Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini as the OSCE Special Representative on Transnistrian conflict settlement. The Ministry pointed out his valuable support for Moldova in 2004-2008 when Mr. Frattini was Vice President of the European Commission.