Moldovan deputy premier meets head of EU Delegation to Chisinau

Chisinau, 3 May /MOLDPRES/- Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Cristina Lesnic had a meeting yesterday with the head of the EU Delegation to Chisinau, Peter Michalko, the Bureau for Reintegration has reported.

The officials exchanged views on various issues related to the Transnistrian problem, progress in implementing issues set in the so-called Berlin plus package, ongoing projects on promoting confidence-building measures.

They reviewed the dynamics of the activity of the sectoral working groups, the problems tackled in the respective platform and the constructive initiatives by the Moldovan side to solve difficulties faced by people on both banks of the Dniester.

The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated the need to mobilize efforts to remove existing barriers to free movement, to complete the technical expertise to Gura Bacului bridge with the support of the OSCE Mission and the EU Delegation to Moldova, and highlighted the achievements in the change of driving licenses in the Transnistrian region to the national ones.

The official called for the EU's proactive involvement, together with mediators and observers in the negotiation process, to counteract Tiraspol's unilateral actions and amicable settlement of artificially created problems through so-called acts on Varniţa village, Anenii Noi district, and the villages of Dubasari district.

At the same time, it was reiterated the need for prior coordination with the Bureau for Reintegration and the competent authorities of the Republic of Moldova of all assistance programs implemented by foreign donors and their beneficiaries are residents of the Transnistrian region.

Chisinau's expectations were addressed in the context of the working visit by Special Representative of the Slovak Chairmanship-in-Office to the OSCE Franco Frattini in the near future to Moldova, as well as some aspects of the organization of events dedicated to Europe Day.

At the end of the meeting, the deputy prime minister noted that the Moldovan side will continue to be active in the Transnistrian settlement negotiation platforms, insist on addressing the issues in all baskets on the agenda, including security issues, and called for a constructive involvement of actors of the 5 + 2 negotiation format for the viable solution to all current problems and Tiraspol's conviction to give up the provocative actions.