Moldovan acting deputy prime minister to attend 22nd OSCE Ministerial Council

Chisinau, 2 December /MOLDPRES/-Acting Deputy Prime Minister Victor Osipov will be part of Moldova’s official delegation at the annual OSCE Ministerial Council in Belgrade, Serbia, on 3-4 December. Osipov held two significant meetings today with the current Special Representative delegated by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to participate in the Transnistrian settlement process, Serbian Ambassador to Moldova Radojko Bogojevic and German Ambassador to Moldova Cord Meier-Klodt. The latter will be the next special representative in 2016, when Germany takes over the OSCE chairmanship, the Bureau for Reintegration has reported.

The officials shared views on major provocations and risks threatening regional security and stability. Osipov voiced Moldova’s hope that the OSCE Ministerial Council will include the subject of the Transnistrian conflict settlement in a special declaration. He added that it was necessary that OSCE reconfirms the importance of the Transnistrian conflict’s settlement and boosts up the continuation of the five-plus-two negotiations. In this context, the Moldovan official emphasized that negotiations should focus on their main goal to carry out and adopt a special legal status for the breakaway Transnistrian region, observing Moldova’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

During his meeting with the Serbian official, Osipov reviewed the current situation of the dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol, touching upon a string of problems and opportunities in this respect. The deputy prime minister reiterated Moldovan authorities’ willingness to work out a string of concrete solutions for the benefit of people residing on both sides of the Dniester River, and thus, make progress in the Transnistrian settlement process. He added that Moldova counted on OSCE’s support to this effect.

Both Serbian and German officials praised the constructive and pro-active position of the Moldovan political representative in the negotiations on the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. The officials agreed on the need of OSCE’s intense participation in the consolidation of the dialogue, inclusively during Germany’s OSCE chairmanship.

(Editor L. Alcaza)