Moldovan premier meets OSCE special representative for Transnistrian conflict settlement

Chisinau, 15 February /MOLDPRES/-Prime Minister Pavel Filip today held a meeting with the special representative for Transnistrian conflict's settlement of Germany’s acting chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Cord Meier-Klodt, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.

The officials discussed Moldova’s reintegration process and bilateral collaboration. Filip praised OSCE’s mediation role in the Transnistrian conflict’s settlement and its efforts to activate dialogue platforms in this respect. The Moldovan prime minister added that the government continued to back five-plus-two and one-plus-one negotiations, along with the efforts to boost up the activity of sector working groups, aiming to achieve palpable results for the benefit of residents on both sides of the Dniester.

In this context, Filip voiced concern over the problem of Transnistria-based Moldova-run schools, access of farmers to farming land, exaggerate increase in the tariffs on utility services for the employees of Moldova-run institutions in the security zone.

“The Moldovan government is taking enhanced efforts to positively settle the problems residents on both sides of Dniester are facing, in order to keep the situation in the security zone afloat and build a constructive dialogue with Tiraspol’s representatives. We hope OSCE’s current German chairmanship will help boost up the settlement process,” Filip said.

The Moldovan prime minister noted that the Transnistrian conflict’s settlement was further one of the government’s main goals, meant to be achieved by the creation of a special legal statute, offering the breakaway Transnistrian region a wide autonomy, reintegrating the country.

The prime minister touched upon the need to consolidate institutional capacities of the Bureau for Reintegration, by supplementing its number of employees and enlarging its attributions, granting it the possibility to perform a wider expertise.

For his part, the OSCE special representative for Transnistrian conflict’s settlement said Moldova needed small success stories, proving continuity and willingness to settle current problems. The German official emphasized the need to carry out a new agenda of the settlement process, in order to get things ready for the resumption of the five-plus-two format negotiations.

The sides have also discussed the new government’s priorities and willingness to consolidate capacities to achieve Moldova’s EU integration goal and ensure stability and security, taking into account regional events.

(Editor A. Raileanu)