VIENNA, 6 November 2009 - The Greek Alternate Foreign Minister, Dimitris Droutsas, encouraged participants in the 5+2 format to renew formal negotiations on a Transdniestrian settlement during a meeting held in Vienna today.

Minister Droutsas had convened an informal meeting of the "5+2", which is composed of the Moldovan and Transdniestran Sides, as well as the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the OSCE, as Mediators, and the European Union and the United States as Observers. Formal negotiations in this format have been stalled since March 2006.

"The Greek Chairmanship strongly supports the efforts of the Mediators and Observers of the '5+2' format and calls on the Sides to negotiate, without preconditions, in good faith and result-oriented spirit, to conclude a comprehensive, lasting, mutually acceptable political agreement resolving the conflict," the Minister said.

Participants at the meeting discussed ways of removing obstacles to the renewal of negotiations on a comprehensive political settlement of the conflict. They agreed on the necessity for an intensified dialogue to resolve outstanding issues.

The participants reiterated their support for the organization of an OSCE-sponsored seminar on Co-operation between the Law Enforcement Bodies of both Sides, that will be held on the 8 and 9 of November in Moldova.