Transnistrian conflict settlement process to continue through negotiations, political dialogue - OSCE Chairman-in-Office says

Chisinau, March 25 / MOLDPRES /- Deputy Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration received Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Zbigniew Rau in Chisinau today, on the occasion of the Polish state taking over the OSCE presidency.

Popescu thanked the Polish state for assistance, including financial support, to the Republic of Moldova in managing the wave of refugees from Ukraine, as well as for its support in the European integration process. "The new security context in the region mainly affects Poland and the Republic of Moldova, countries that have a large number of Ukrainian refugees in their population relative to the population. Our states are deeply affected by the war, but also by the great wave of refugees. In the discussion we addressed the need to complete the withdrawal of Russian ammunition deployed on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, which has no legal status to be here, "said Popescu.

For his part, Zbigniew Rau said he was impressed by the generosity of Ukrainian refugees by authorities and citizens and said he would have meetings with Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița, as well as with political representatives of the Transnistrian region.

"Even if the security climate in the region has changed, the process of peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian dispute will continue through negotiations and political dialogue, for the reunification of the Moldovan state in the format of internationally recognized borders and by granting a special status to the Transnistrian region. human rights are respected, "said the new OSCE chairman.

At the same time, at the request of the Polish press, the Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister stated that all citizens of the Republic of Moldova, including those in the Transnistrian region, want to maintain peace. "In the context of the war in Ukraine, every person on the European continent feels less secure. The Republic of Moldova is a neutral state and there is no reason for the Moldovan state to be considered a target for an aggressor. All the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, including those from the Transnistrian region, want to keep their peace and do not want to be involved in the conflict ", said Popescu.