OSCE Chairperson hails breakthrough in Transdniestrian settlement talks

DUBLIN, 18 April 2012 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore, welcomed today’s announcement of a breakthrough reached in the OSCE-led negotiations towards a Transdniestrian settlement.

He congratulated his Special Representative for the talks, Ambassador Erwan Fouéré, who brokered the agreement on the principles and procedures of the talks and the future agenda of the negotiations (called the ‘5 + 2 Talks’), on this significant achievement in complex negotiations in which agreement even on the basic framework has hitherto proved elusive. 

The Chairperson said: “This is a notable step forward and great credit is due to Erwan Fouere and the team of negotiators, including the Moldovan and the Transdniestrian Chief Negotiators.  Of course, much remains to be done before a final settlement is agreed but this is a very encouraging start and we hope that the positive spirit displayed today augurs well for the future”.

The agreement reached today in Vienna builds on progress made at the initial meeting under the current Chairmanship held in Farmleigh on 28 February.

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.