The current situation related to the dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol was discussed with the Special Representative of the Russian Federation in the negotiation process for the Transnistrian settlement
Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebrian had a meeting today, July 18, 2022, with Special Representative of the Russian Federation in the negotiation process for the Transnistrian settlement, Vitaly Tryapitsyn.
Discussions focused on the current state of the dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol, agenda of negotiations, visions regarding the mechanisms for solving the accumulated problems, priority measures taken by the Moldovan authorities to provide necessary assistance to residents on the left bank of the Nistru river.
Deputy Prime Minister Serebrian stated that the 5 + 2 process is frozen partly due to the war in Ukraine. However, the fact that there has not been any 5 + 2 meeting since late 2019 signalizes that some deeper structural issues need also be addressed. The Deputy Prime Minister also drew attention to the fact that Chief Negotiator from Tiraspol, Vitaly Ignatiev, in his public pronouncements speaks about “independence” of the Transnistrian region as a goal which is in breach of the explicit declarations of the 5 + 2 participants. Similarly, many pronouncements of some journalists and public persons from Moscow are characterized by worrying, even threatening messages.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the goodwill of the Moldovan government to assist the inhabitants of the left bank in the current difficult situation. For this purpose, it conducts constant interaction via the existing Chisinau-Tiraspol communication channels. These interactions amid to find solutions to problems such as violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms in the Transnistrian region, to monitor compliance with previous commitments in the negotiations and to maintain the situation in the Security Zone within agreed principles. Attention was drawn to the exclusion of potential challenges that would jeopardize the proper functioning of Latin-script schools in the eastern districts of the country and farmers' access to agricultural land in Dubasari district. The Special Representative recognized these challenges related to access to the farmlands, of the Latin-script schools and, in general, of obstacles to the free movement across the Nistru.
Deputy Prime Minister Serebrian also drew attention to the inhumane conditions in which several citizens of the Republic of Moldova are detained in the penitentiaries in the eastern districts of the country, being particularly mentioned the case of Adrian Glijin. It was reiterated that there is an urgent need to address during the negotiations the explicit deterioration of human rights observance in the Transnistrian region.
Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian also had a meeting today with Ambassador of Ukraine, Marko Shevchenko and will also go on an official visit to Brussels today, where he will meet with Josep Borell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission. Also, he will conduct consultations with Stefano Saninino, Secretary-General of the European External Action Service, Michael Siebert, Managing Director of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Department, EEAS; Maciej Popowski, Acting Director-General of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations on the prospects of the Transnistrian settlement process in the new regional and European context.
