Joint Statement by the mediators and the observers in the Permanent Conference on Political Issues in the Framework of the Negotiation Process on the Transdniestrian Settlement in the 5+2 format following their 12 July 2019 visit to Chisinau and Tiraspol

CHISINAU, 12 July 2019 - The mediators and observers in the Permanent Conference on Political Issues in the Framework of the Negotiation Process on the Transdniestrian Settlement in the 5+2 format visited Chisinau and Tiraspol on 12 July 2019 for talks with the Moldovan and Transdniestrian leaderships.

During their visit, the mediators and observers met in Chisinau with the Moldovan President Igor Dodon, Prime Minister Maia Sandu as well as Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration and Chief Negotiator Vasilii Sova. In Tiraspol they met with the Transdniestrian leader Vadim Krasnoselsky and Chief Negotiator Vitaly Ignatiev.

The mediators and observers welcomed the political commitment shown by the leaderships of both Sides to further build on the positive dynamic in the Transdniestrian settlement process and to achieve further tangible results by the end of this year with regard to the implementation of the Berlin-plus package.

To that end, the mediators and observers urged the Sides to continue the active and substantive engagement in the joint expert working groups and to hold 1+1 meetings of the chief negotiators on a regular basis to provide these groups with the necessary guidance and they welcome in this regard the commitment by both chief negotiators to meet within the next two weeks. Taking into account the result-oriented approach, substantive political discussions in the 5+2 format can be convened in Bratislava, Slovakia within the next three months to take stock of the progress made with regard to the implementation of the Berlin-plus package and to identify further priority issues in the field of confidence-building measures. The mediators and observers further welcomed the readiness of both Sides to address selected priority issues from the joint expert working groups in a retreat to be organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova in Bavaria, Germany in autumn.

Talks in the 5+2 format include representatives of the Sides – Moldova and Transdniestria, the mediators from the OSCE, the Russian Federation and Ukraine as well as the observers from the European Union and the United States of America.