OSCE Head about Negotiation Process between Moldova and Transnistria

The success of the negotiation process in 2018 proves that both the Moldovan and Transnistrian parties have the necessary political will to resolve the settlement issues, said the head of the OSCE Mission to the Republic of Moldova, Klaus Neukirch. On Tuesday, speaking at the Annual Moldovan European Integration Debate Forum of the Republic of Moldova, organized with the support of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, he said that “this is confirmed by the small steps taken in 2018”. He recalled that five of the six tasks were completed, and the sixth is at the decision stage - the issue of restoring telephone communication between the two banks of the Dniester, infotag reports. “The goal of the negotiation process is clear - confirmation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova with the granting of a special status to Transnistria. And in the solution of this task, the implementation of small steps is important, which will later move on to more large-scale progress”, he said. According to Neukirch, “the parties are not ready yet to discuss this topic at a particular moment”. “But increasing the trust achieved in the negotiation process is fundamental to a future settlement. Progress in the dialogue will be noted and consolidated at the meeting of the Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the OSCE participating States in Milan (December 6-7). Further settlement policy will be built after the parliamentary elections next year based on the achieved goals of small steps”, said the head of the mission. Source: point.md