Eurasia Press & News
The Republic of Moldova’s central government recognizes Tiraspol as a dialog partner at the negotiating table, but shall never agree to recognize it as a subject of international law – in whatever form.
Moldova’s Acting President, Parliament Chairman Mihai Ghimpu stated on Wednesday night during his meeting with the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s Special Representative, Ambassador Charalampos Christopoulos.
Mihai Ghimpu stressed Moldova shall be consistently implementing measures to build trust between the two parts of the country, and to develop dialog with the Tiraspol administration, Transnistria business circles and civil society.
The acting president highly appreciated the role the OSCE as a whole and its permanent Mission to Moldova play as international mediators and reliable partners in the Transnistrian settlement work. He called the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe “an essential participant in Moldova’s efforts to reintegrate the country”.
Yet Mihai Ghimpu voiced regret that official 5+2 negotiations would not be resumed, whereas a long-waited Declaration on Moldova failed to be adopted at the OSCE ministerial conference held in the Athens last December 1-2.
Ghimpu reaffirmed the Moldovan leadership’s position concerning the vital need for a full and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from the Moldovan territory and for transforming the current peacekeeping operation into a multinational civilian mission under an international mandate.
Ambassador Charalampos Christopoulos welcomed the Chisinau’s initiative to suspend the current travel restrictions on some Tiraspol officials, and said this is an important step towards dialog restarting.
