OSCE Special Representative for Transdniestrian settlement process visits region ahead of official talks in Dublin

CHIŞINĂU, 3 February 2012 - Ambassador Erwan Fouéré, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian settlement process, concluded meetings with the political leadership in Chişinău and Tiraspol today.

The visit represents Fouéré’s first to the region in his capacity as Special Representative. He met the leaders and other senior officials in Chişinău and Tiraspol, including Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat, the new Transdniestrian leader Yevgeny Shevchuk, and the Chief Negotiators Eugen Carpov and Nina Shtanski.

“My meetings in Chişinău and Tiraspol were constructive and informative, and I look forward to continuing our discussions when we meet in Dublin for the official 5+2 negotiations planned for 28 and 29 February,” he said. “The Irish OSCE Chairmanship intends to build on the recent momentum attained in the Transdniestrian settlement process to achieve concrete progress for the benefit of people living on both sides of the river.”

Official 5+2 negotiations were resumed following a hiatus of almost six years in Vilnius on 30 November 2011.

Fouéré also met political party representatives in Chişinău as well as civil society representatives from both banks of the Dniestr/Nistru river, representatives of the mediators and observers in the Transdniestrian settlement process, representatives in the expert working groups on confidence-building measures, and the Co-Chairs of the Joint Control Commission.

The 5+2 format includes representatives of the sides, mediators and observers in the negotiations – Moldova, Transdniestria, the OSCE, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the US and the EU.