CHISINAU AND TIRASPOL NEGOTIATORS TRYING TO ACHIEVE COMPROMISE AND TO SIGN BRATISLAVA PROTOCOL

The Chisinau and Tiraspol Political Representatives - Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Country Reintegration Alexandru Flenchea and Transnistrian minister of foreign affairs Vitaly Ignatiev - are holding a meeting at the Chisinau Office of the OSCE Mission to Moldova on Monday, trying to achieve a compromise and sign the final Protocol drawn up at the latest round of 5+2 format negotiations held in Bratislava in early October.

Answering journalists' questions before the meeting beginning today, Alexandru Flenchea said that this question would be the main one at the 1+1 format meeting to be held on Monday in the OSCE Mission Office.

"We have left to harmonize our positions on several disputable questions, as most of the problems have already been resolved. We will undertake yet one more attempt - perhaps the last one - to achieve a compromise and sign the Bratislava Protocol. If we manage to, the Slovakian OSCE Presidency will organize a meeting for signing the document. This would be a good finish of the Slovakian Presidency", said the Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister.

Answering journalists' questions about one disputable item in the draft Protocol, Alexandru Flenchea said that a compromise formulation to it was proposed by the OSCE Special Representative on Transnistria Franco Frattini. Flenchea refused to disclose the formulation in order to not inflict damage to the forthcoming talks.

Flenchea stressed that if the Protocol fails to be signed, the negotiations will be continued in conformity with the agenda determined previously. He also said: "Our priorities are remaining unchanged. We shall be working to resolve all the problems the residents on both Dniester banks come across".

Before the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting held in Bratislava on December 5-6, Alexandru Flenchea stated readiness to sign a compromise variant of the Protocol. However, the Transnistrian chief negotiator, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vitaly Ignatiev stated that Tiraspol is not ready to put its signature under a document that disregards the position he had spoken out during the negotiations held in early October.