Eurasia Press & News
The Russian Federation and Ukraine stand for resolving the Transnistria problem by using exclusively peaceful political means through holding an equal-right dialog in order to determine a special and reliably guaranteed legal status for Transnistria on the basis of observing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, constitutional neutrality and the formation of a common legal, economic and defense area, says the Joint Statement signed by the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Dmitry Medvedev and Victor Yanukovitch, in Kiev on Monday.
Russia and Ukraine, as international mediators and guarantors of a fair and all-embracing settlement of the Transnistria problem, have reaffirmed their adherence to the accords achieved earlier in the Transnistrian negotiation process.
They regard consolidation of trust between the Republic of Moldova and Transnistria, provision of stable socio-economic development in the region, further consolidation of civil society institutions, observance of human rights and freedoms in conformity with the norms and principles of the international law as inseparable components of the Transnistrian conflict settlement.
The two guarantor countries shall continue making agreed-on efforts to restore mutual understanding between the Republic of Moldova and Transnistria, and have called on their governments to refrain from unilateral actions that could complicate the situation and settlement perspectives. Moscow and Kiev have promised they will be rendering maximum-possible assistance to the joint expert groups working to build up trust on the Dniester River in the spheres of trade, transportation, humanitarian and other.
Russia and Ukraine have highlighted the particular stabilizing role played by the current peacekeeping operation in the region, and stand for a constructive interaction between all its component parties. Moscow and Kiev have reaffirmed readiness to transform the operation into a peace-guaranteeing operation under the OSCE aegis in the Transnistrian settlement context.
The Joint Statement parties are intending – in contact with international partners – to promote the creation of appropriate conditions for resuming the activities of the Permanent Conference on political issues within the framework of the Transnistrian negotiation process with the participation of the political representatives of the Republic of Moldova and Transnistria [as the conflict sides], the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [as the international mediators], and the European Union and the U.S.A. [as the observers, with all the seven forming the 5+2 negotiation format].
The two guarantor countries in question are convinced that a close interaction and coordination of efforts by all the 5+2 actors concerned can speed up the achievement of an all-embracing and lasting political settlement on the Dniester.
