Moldovan experts attend conference on promoting confidence-building measures in Germany

Chisinau, 30 October /MOLDPRES/- The "Promoting confidence building measures in the Transnistrian conflict settlement" conference was held in Germany, Rottach-Egern, on 29-30 October, the Bureau for Reintegration has reported.

Attending the conference were international experts, who participated in various topic-related sessions on up-to-date issues and subjects of common interest in the economy, transports and ecology sectors.

During the thematic workshop on economic issues, participants discussed the protocol decision on taking urgent measures to stabilize economic interaction between Moldova and its breakaway Transnistrian territory. Officials also broached technical barriers to trade between both banks of the Dniester River and unveiled the indices of Moldovan-Transnistrian commercial exchanges.

During the environment thematic session group, coordinators of working groups from Chisinau and Tiraspol made a quick presentation of environment protection projects implemented on both banks of the Dniester River. During the same session, a German expert unveiled the positive results of the implementation of a Moldovan-German project in 24 localities from Criuleni and Dubasari districts. According to him, the project helped improve the local infrastructure of the drinking water supply and sewerage system. Experts also shared views on the activity of sectoral working groups and tackled opportunities to identify new pragmatic solutions to problems of common interest. At the end of the meeting, participants signed a protocol decision, according to which both sides commit to take responsibility of the Dniester River’s resource management. The decision was also signed by the political representatives in the negotiations on the Transnistrian conflict’s settlement, Victor Osipov and Vitali Ignatiev.  

During the talks within the transports topic-related workshop, Transnistrian representatives welcomed Moldovan authorities’ decision to temporarily make an exception until a complex solution is found, to regulate the movement of cars with Transnistrian registration plates across the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. The head of the Moldovan working group highlighted that it was necessary to strengthen efforts to find a viable solution that would comply with the requirements of international conventions Moldova is party to. Working groups had also received recommendations from foreign experts and foreign officials involved in the settlement process.  

Mediators and observers participating in the five-plus-two negotiations reiterated the need to boost up dialogue within all the existent platforms and re-launch the activity of the Permanent Conference on Political Issues within the framework of the Transnistrian conflict’s settlement. According to them, it is necessary to direct efforts towards finding a final and comprehensive solution to the Transnistrian conflict and establish a special statute for the breakaway region within Moldova’s borders, which are internationally recognized.

Acting Deputy Prime Minister Victor Osipov said the OSCE and negotiation partners played an important role in bolstering the settlement process. He thanked the OSCE’s acting chairman and the German government for organizing this conference in Bavaria.

(Editor A. Raileanu)