Ukrainian diplomats meet with PMR MFA leadership

This year, Ukraine intends to contribute to increased dialogue on the Dniester, as the Special Representative of Ukraine for Pridnestrovien Settlement, Viktor Kryzhanovskiy, has said today in Tiraspol during his meeting with the PMR Foreign Minister, Vladimir Yastrebchak. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Moldova Sergey Pirozhkov has also taken part in the meeting from the Ukrainian side, and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Simonenko has taken part from the Pridnestrovien side.  The interlocutors have discussed consequences of the gas crisis that directly affected Pridnestrovie. The PMR MFA head has expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian side for its efforts which have allowed to minimize the crisis aftermaths on the republic. According to Viktor Kryzhanovskiy, during those difficult days Kiev immediately responded to all appeals from Pridnestrovie.  The interlocutors have also discussed priorities in the process of Moldova-Pridnestrovie settlement to focus special efforts on this year. According to the Ukrainian diplomat, the forthcoming work will be divided in stages in order to make it as effective as possible. Those participating in the settlement will do it in the 5+2, and 3+2 formats, as well as in the form of seminars. Summing up the results of the meeting in his interview to the media representatives, Viktor Kryzhanovskiy has noted that he can see the willingness of Tiraspol to engage in a fruitful and constructive work. The Pridnestrovien MFA head has informed that this year Tiraspol and Kiev intend to develop cooperation in other areas as well. Among them, such strategic areas as economic and humanitarian cooperation.

Answering the journalists' questions, the Special Representative of Ukraine has commented on the intention of Bucharest to engage more actively in the settlement process between Moldova and Pridnestrovie. According to the diplomat, Kiev highly respects the Romanian diplomatic experience. However, Viktor Kryzhanovskiy has reminded that Romania is the EU member-state, and the latter is an observer in the negotiation process between Tiraspol and Chisinau. In this context, the Ukrainian side holds that Bucharest can contribute to the normalization process on the Dniester through its more active engagement in the European structures.  According to the PMR MFA head, the Pridnestrovien side has not received any official proposals from Bucharest related to its intentions to become part of the negotiation process. The head of the Pridnestrovien diplomacy has noted that the EU is yet not through its potential as an observer in the negotiations, and Bucharest might play its role by more actively pushing its ideas through respective EU mechanisms.