Mediators and observers on Transdniestrian settlement visit Chisinau and Tiraspol

CHISINAU, 5 November 2011 – The mediators and the observers in the Transdniestrian settlement process, who concluded a two-day visit to meet the political leadership in Chisinau and Tiraspol today, welcomed the decision of the sides to accept the invitation of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to meet in Vilnius on 30 November-1 December for the first official 5+2 meeting following a nearly six years hiatus.

In Chisinau, the mediators and observers met with Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament and Acting President Marian Lupu, Prime Minister Vlad Filat, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iurie Leanca, and Chief Negotiator Eugen Carpov. In Tiraspol, they held meetings with the Transdniestrian leader Igor Smirnov, the leadership of the  Supreme Council, Political Representative Vladimir Yastrebchak.

Ambassador Giedrius Čekuolis, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for protracted conflicts, reiterated his support for the agreement reached on 22 September to restart official 5+2 negotiations, saying:  “We cannot afford to lose time and the positive momentum created in Moscow. I welcome today’s acceptance by the sides of the invitation of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, to meet in Vilnius for the first official 5+2 meeting.”

The 5+2 format consists of the sides, mediators and observers in the Transdniestrian settlement process – the OSCE, Russian Federation, Ukraine, the US, and the EU.  The participants in the Moscow meeting in September agreed that the first official 5+2 meeting would be devoted to a discussion of principles and procedures for the official negotiating process.