First meeting on Transdniestria settlement under Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship sets goals for 2010

VIENNA, 2 March 2010 - The first meeting of the representatives of the Sides, Mediators and Observers in the "5+2" Transdniestria settlement process with the Special Representative of the Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship, Ambassador Bolat Nurgaliyev, ended in Vienna today. 

"This was the first 5+2 meeting of 2010, and its purpose was to elaborate a workplan for the year aimed at renewing real negotiations towards a comprehensive political solution acceptable to the people of both Sides," said Ambassador Nurgaliyev.

The 5+2 includes the sides, the Republic of Moldova and Transdniestria, the mediators - Russian Federation, Ukraine and the OSCE - and the United States and the European Union as observers.

At today's meeting in Vienna, the 5+2 agreed to meet regularly and frequently, with agendas for the meetings to be driven by issues of mutual importance to the Sides. A goal was set to renew formal negotiations in the 5+2 format this year. Formal negotiations have been suspended since 2006.

"The most important factor in achieving real negotiations is building a climate of trust between the sides," Ambassador Nurgaliyev said. "Direct talks between the political representatives of the Sides since late last year, which resolved significant problems faced by populations in both sides, have laid a promising foundation for our efforts."

Representatives of the 5+2 also lauded the re-launch of work in the Expert Working Groups on Confidence-Building Measures. They exchanged information on their individual workplans for 2010, concentrating on seminars, visits and other events to widen contacts and co-operation between the Sides.

The 5+2 agreed to hold their next meeting this May in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, at the invitation of the 2010 OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Secretary of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kanat Saudabayev.