Slovakian foreign affairs minister to visit Moldova

Chisinau, 16 January /MOLDPRES/ - The first meeting from 2019 of the head of the Reintegration Policies Bureau, Marian Gherman, with Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Claus Neukirch took place on 16 January. Attending the event were representatives of the Bureau and of the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry, the Reintegration Policies Bureau has reported.  

The participants in the event tackled organizational aspects on a working visit by Slovakian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajčák, he is to pay to Chisinau and Tiraspol in the near future. The minister is to hold consultations on more subjects dealing with the Transnistria-related issues, in the context of Slovakia taking over the OSCE chairmanship in 2019.  

It is worth mentioning that, for this year, the OSCE chairmanship by Slovakia is set to promote three priorities titled:  

1. Prevention, mediation and attenuation of the conflict.

2. Ensuring a safe future.

3. Efficient multilateralism.

The head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova informed that Franco Frattini would exercise the office of Special Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office for Transnistrian Conflict Settlement in 2019 as well.

Also, the participants in the dialogue discussed the situation in the Security Zone and aspects dealing with the work of the Joint Control Commission. They reiterated the message on the need to continuously monitor the situation in the perimeter the peacekeeping forces are in charge of and focus efforts to maintain stability in the region and efficiently manage the problems in terms of security.  

At the same time, the head of the Bureau reiterated the necessity that, in line with the provisions of the item 6 of the Declaration of the OSCE Ministerial Council on the developments in the Transnistrian conflict settlement process in the 5+2 format, approved in Milan, Italy, on 7 December 2018, advancement should be provided in the process of negotiations and parallel settlement of all problems contained in the three baskets on the agenda of the process of talks:  

a) social and economic problems;

b) general aspects of law, humanitarian aspects and human rights;

c) comprehensive settlement of the conflict, including institutional, political and security aspects.

In the end, Marian Gherman noted that the Bureau would continue ensuring the sustainability and dynamic of the activities carried out in 2018. He expressed thanks for the productive involvement of the OSCE Mission as mediator in the process of negotiations for the Transnistrian settlement.