OSCE Chairmanship welcomes agreement on principles and procedures, agenda in Transdniestrian settlement talks

VIENNA, 18 April 2012 – Ambassador Erwan Fouéré, the Special Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian settlement process, welcomed today’s agreement on the principles and procedures for the conduct of formal negotiations as well as the agenda for the process.

The agreement was reached during official 5+2 talks towards a Transdniestrian settlement that ended in Vienna today. Participants included the Moldovan and Transdniestrian Chief Negotiators Eugen Carpov and Nina Shtanski, as well as representatives of the mediators and observers.

“I welcome the agreement on the principles and procedures and the agenda for the conduct of negotiations in the Transdniestrian settlement process. I commend the sides for showing the needed political will and positive spirit to reach a consensus on these very important issues,” said Fouéré, who chaired the meeting. “I urge the participants to build on the results achieved here to make further progress towards a comprehensive political settlement.”

The participants also agreed on the date and time of the next meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Vienna in mid-July.

The 5+2 format includes representatives of the sides, mediators and observers in the negotiation process – Moldova, Transdniestria, the OSCE, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the US and the EU. Official negotiations were resumed in November 2011 following a hiatus of almost six years.

The meeting was held in the premises of the Austrian Foreign Ministry at the hospitality of Austrian Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger.