New round of Transniester talks at the beginning of 2012

On 1 December, talks between Moldova and the pro-Moscow separatist region of Trans-Dniester concluded in Lithuania with an agreement for more meetings at the beginning of next year. Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Audronis Azubalis said that “it took six years for both sides to sit at one table and to start official talks. That’s the biggest achievement today”.

The talks, also involving Russian, Ukrainian, U.S. and EU envoys, would begin by agreeing on the principles and procedures for further negotiations.

“We expect to start real work on the settlement of the Transdniestria conflict,” Moldova Deputy Prime Minister Eugen Carpov told reporters before entering the talks.