OSCE Chairmanship worried about tensions in Transdniestrian region

CHISINAU, 9 September 2004 - Former Bulgarian President, Petar Stoyanov, Special Envoy for Moldova of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, discussed today with the Moldovan and the Transdniestrian leaderships the prospects of easing the tensions between both sides.

The Special Envoy held meetings today in Chisinau with Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin as well as with Minister for Reintegration Vasile Sova, Minister for Education Valentin Beniuc, Minister for Transport Vasile Zgardan, First Deputy Foreign Minister Eugenia Kistruga and the director of Railway Moldova, Miron Gagauz.

President Stoyanov also paid a visit to Tiraspol where he met the Transdniestrian chief negotiator, Valery Litskai.

The tensions surrounding the Moldovan Latin script schools in the Transdniestrian region, the seizure of Moldovan railway buildings in Bender by Transdniestrian militia on 6 September and the future of the settlement negotiations were key topics in these meetings.

"We are deeply worried by the steadily increasing tensions between Tiraspol and Chisinau, which have evolved into a crisis involving the entire settlement process", President Stoyanov told President Voronin and Mr. Litskay. He called on both sides to ease these tensions and to work out solutions to the various disputes at the negotiating table.