The PMR Foreign Ministry hosted a meeting between the PMR Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Claus Neukirch.
Welcoming the guest, Vitaly Ignatiev gave a positive assessment to the level of contacts between Pridnestrovie and the OSCE and expressed hope for the maintenance of positive dynamics in the negotiation process. “We consider it necessary to achieve implementation of the agreements that have been recently signed with Kishinev and to fill the work with practical content within the framework of the Slovak Chairmanship in the OSCE,” the PMR Foreign Minister noted.
At the meeting, the interlocutors discussed in detail the upcoming visit to Pridnestrovie of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Miroslav Lajcak and exchanged views on a number of topical issues on the agenda of the negotiation process between Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova, the parties should focus on in the near future. In particular, Vitaly Ignatiev emphasized the need to enforce agreements in the field of telecommunications and politically motivated criminal cases. Moreover, the parties outlined promising areas of work within the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian settlement in 2019.
“This year will be quite difficult due to the electoral processes in Moldova. Despite, the Pridnestrovian side intends to maintain a good dynamic of the dialogue so that problems continue to be solved for the benefit of the people based on the priority of social and humanitarian issues”, said Vitaly Ignatiev while talking to the media after the meeting.
In his turn, Claus Neukirch said that in 2018 both sides had demonstrated “leadership and commitment which have helped us to solve a lot of issues”. “We had the major achievements in implementing the Berlin plus package and the package of eight. I believe that the visit of the Chairperson-in-Office also gives an opportunity for both sides to claim their priorities and the issues that need to be addressed this year”, the diplomat said.
Claus Neukirch also announced that the OSCE CiO Miroslav Lajcak would arrive in Pridnestrovie on Friday, January 18. Answering journalists’ questions, the Head of the OSCE Mission clarified that the Italian diplomat Franco Frattini was reappointed to the post of Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.
At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to maintain working communication on the whole spectrum of topical issues.
