OSCE Secretary General hails progress in the settlement process, pledges support to the removal of ammunition from Cobasna

The OSCE stands ready to bring in international, independent evaluators to verify the state of ammunition in Cobasna if required”, said OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger finishing his visit to the Republic of Moldova. Greminger noted that progress has been made in the Transnistrian settlement, and confirmed that the OSCE was ready to support this process “based on the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova while at the same time providing a special status for Transdniestria”. I am confident that in the course of the upcoming “5+2” meeting organized by the Slovak Chairmanship in Bratislava and the planned Bavaria conference, the sides will consolidate the existing progress and generate new agreements for the benefit of people on both banks. The OSCE Mission to Moldova will continue to work closely with both sides to facilitate dialogue and trust in the settlement process”, stressed Greminger. Greminger commended as promising the renewal of a military dialogue between the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation on the removal of ammunition and armaments from the Cobasna depot. “The OSCE is mandated to ensure the transparency of this process and to co-ordinate financial and technical assistance offered to this end,” said the Secretary General. During his first trip to Moldova in the capacity of OSCE Secretary General, Thomas Greminger met in Chisinau with the Moldovan President Igor Dodon; Speaker of Parliament Zinaida Greceanii; Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration and Chief Negotiator Vasilii Sova; State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Tatiana Molcean; Minister of Defenсe Pavel Voicu; and Bashkan of Gagauzia Irina Vlah. In Tiraspol, Greminger had meetings with the Transdniestrian leader Vadim Krasnoselsky and Chief Negotiator Vitaly Ignatiev. NewsMaker