The meeting resulted in signing of a Protocol Decision on opening of the bridge over the Dniester River near the villages of Gura-Bykului and Bychok.
The Kishinev office of the OSCE Mission hosted a meeting of political representatives from Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova Vitaly Ignatiev and Gheorghe Balan. During the discussion, interlocutors finalized the text of the Protocol Decision “On opening of the bridge over the Dniester River near the villages of Gura-Bykului and Bychok”. The final document was signed by the parties in presence of representatives of mediators and observers in the negotiation process.
Commenting on the results of the meeting, Vitaly Ignatiev recalled that the Pridnestrovian side put forward the initiative to open traffic across the bridge in the area of Gura-Bykului and Bychok. According to the diplomat, usage of this important infrastructure facility can serve as an impetus for the full use of the transport potential of Pridnestrovie, as well as for the dialogue intensification at the negotiating table on a whole range of topical issues.
“On October 16 this year Vadim Krasnoselsky sent an initiative to the 5+2 participants with a proposal to open the bridge taking into account the guarantees not to use this facility for military purposes. We are pleased to note that this guarantee was fixed in the Protocol Decision, which we have signed today” – the diplomat said, noting that the agreement reached is primarily aimed at “developing transport and logistics infrastructure and economic ties”.
“We also hope that this is the first and important step towards solving the whole range of issues and problems related to transport, logistics and freedom of movement. We also expect that this practical solution will not remain ‘lonely’, and in the near future it will be followed by other, no less important achievements aimed at improving living conditions of people in Pridnestrovie and Moldova” – Vitaly Ignatiev stressed.
Talking to mass media, the Head of the Foreign Ministry pointed out that in the near future there will be a large-scale work of relevant specialists to study the current technical state of the bridge and to take necessary measures to put the facility into operation.
“There are certain technical elements, transport-operational characteristics of the bridge. There should be reasonable approach to this issue, therefore, there is a reference in the agreement to the need to attract serious investments in order to restore the road infrastructure, not only the road section on the territory of Moldova and Pridnestrovie, but also, possibly, in Ukraine. We believe that this is an absolutely logical and mutually beneficial task, which also interests our international partners” – he said.
Answering the question about impact of the decision reached by the parties on the prospects for the “Permanent Conference...” meeting, Vitaly Ignatiev recalled that the Austrian OSCE Chairmanship has not initiated a meeting in the 5+2 format to this day, although there have been all the opportunities for this within a year . In the opinion of the PMR Foreign Minister, in fact, it was the parties who have showed willingness to move forward and achieve practical results, and in this context the Austrian Chairmanship should intensify its participation in the negotiation process.
