Present situation in Chisinau-Tiraspol dialogue discussed with Russia's representative at negotiations on Transnistrian settlement

Chisinau, 18 July /MOLDPRES/ - Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebrian today had a meeting with Russia’s Special Representative in the Process of Negotiations on Transnistrian Settlement Vitaly Tryapitsin, the Reintegration Policies Bureau has reported.  

The discussions were focused on the current state of the Chisinau-Tiraspol dialogue, the agenda of negotiations, visions on the mechanisms of settling the problems accumulated, priority measures undertaken by Moldova’s authorities, in order to provide the assistance necessary for the residents from the left bank of Dniester.    

Deputy PM Serebrian said that the 5+2 format was frozen at present, to a great extent, because of the war in Ukraine. Nevertheless, the fact that there has been no meeting in the 5+2 format since late 2019 showed the existence of deeper structural problems which must be tackled.   

Oleg Serebrian stressed that the chief negotiator on behalf of Tiraspol, in his public statements, more and more often spoke about the ‘’independence’’ of the Transnistrian region, with this goal obviously infringing the declarations by the participants in the 5+2 format. At the same time, more statements by Russian journalists and public people contain concerning, even threatening messages.   

The deputy prime minister emphasized the Moldovan government’s will to help the residents from the left bank of Dniester, who are in a difficult situation now. To this end, a constant interaction is ensured through the present communication channels between Chisinau and Tiraspol. These interactions are also meant to find solutions to such problems as the infringement of the fundamental human rights and freedoms in the Transnistrian region, to follow the observance of the earlier assumed commitments during negotiations and to maintain the situation in the Security Zone within accepted principles.   

The Moldovan official drew attention to the exclusion of potential provocations, which would jeopardize the good work of the Latin-script schools in Moldova’s eastern districts and the access of farmers to the farmlands from the Dubasari district. The special representative agreed with the existence of challenges related to the access to farmlands, Latin-script schools and, in general, the obstacles to the free movement at Dniester.   

Deputy PM Serebrian also highlighted the inhuman conditions in which more citizens of Moldova were detained in penitentiaries from the country’s eastern districts, evoking, in particular, the case of Andrei Glijin. The official reiterated that there was a pressing need to approach at negotiations the obvious worsening of the situation in terms of the observance of human rights in the Transnistrian region.   

Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian today also had a meeting with Ukraine Ambassador to Moldova Marko Shevchenko. Also today, Serebrian will leave for Brussels to meet High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, European Commission Vice-Resident Josep Borrell.  

Oleg Serebrian will also have consultations with Secretary General of the European External Action Service cu Stefano Sannino, Director General for Eastern Partnership and Central Asia of the European External Action Service Michael Siebert, Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Maciej Popowski, with whom he will discuss perspectives of the Transnistrian settlement process in the new regional and European context.    

Photo: Reintegration Policies Bureau