On April 4-5, in Vienna, in accordance with earlier reached agreements, a regular round of informal consultations of the participants of the Permanent Consultations on Political Issues in the Framework of the Pridnestrovien Settlement Negotiation Process, which includes the Republic of Moldova and the Pridnestrovien Moldavian Republic (the sides), the Russian Federation and Ukraine (guarantors and mediators), the OSCE (mediator), and also the USA and European Union (observers), took place. The Pridnestrovien delegation was represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Yastrebchak and Co-Chairperson of the Joint Control Commission from Pridnestrovie Oleg Belyakov.
In the course of the meeting, participants of the consultations discussed issues of mutual interest at current stage of a multilateral cooperation. In particular, special attention was paid to the issue of general procedural rules for expert (working) groups, the text of which was agreed with previous Political Representative from the Republic of Moldova. The Pridnestrovien side informed participants of the meeting about its approach based on the necessity to fulfil mutually agreed decisions, and stressed that procedural rules must be neither “political” nor “technical” but exclusively legally binding document creating reliable organisational and legal base for groups. Unfortunately, such approach does not meet understanding from Moldovan representatives who have made an attempt to reduce as much as possible the level of procedural rules' approval and also to exclude the possibility of adopting interdepartmental agreements within groups.
During the meeting, problems of economic cooperation, removal of artificial administrative barriers impeding trade, and also respect for human rights were discussed. Pridnestrovien side delivered information about specific steps made by Pridnestrovie's leadership on a whole range of areas, underlying that it expects similar steps from Moldovan authorities.
In the process of discussions of the issue regarding fulfilment of earlier reached agreements, delegation of the Pridnestrovien Moldavian republic cited as an example the recent experience of interaction in line of law-enforcement structures of the sides. In particular, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pridnestrovie abides all cooperation parameters envisaged by agreements, inter alia those as regards the search for and detention of persons which law-enforcement structures of Moldova suspect in committing crimes, while Moldova has executed none of the procedural instructions of the Pridnestrovien side. Such practice is abnormal and puts in doubt Kishinev's declared readiness for constructive work with Tiraspol.
In the course of the consultations, prospects for restart of official work of one of the negotiation mechanisms – the Permanent Consultations on Political Issues in the Framework of the Pridnestrovien Settlement Negotiation Process (the 5+2 format) – were also discussed. The Pridnestrovien side as before proceeds from the need to create prerequisites for resumption of work in this format in order not to make the first official meeting the last one. Agreement is reached to continue joint efforts in this direction.
The Russian side came forward with an initiative to hold the next round of consultations in Moscow which was supported by all participants of the meeting.
