Regular meeting of the Permanent Conference on Political Issues in the Framework of the Negotiating Process for Pridnestrovian Settlement will take place in Odessa from 23 to 24 May. The meeting in Odessa will be the second during the Ukrainian OSCE-Chairmanship and will be held with the participation of representatives of the sides, guarantors, mediators and observers in the negotiations on the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian settlement.
During the meeting, participants intend to discuss issues related to ensuring the freedom of movement, in particular, to continue joint efforts on the draft of the Protocol Decision “On Some Primary Measures to Provide Freedom of Movement for Population of Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova”. The Pridnestrovian side is very interested in the early progress in this area, as the issue of free movement of people across borders between Pridnestrovie and the Republic of Moldova alongside with ensuring the full functioning of regular passenger traffic to Ukraine is particularly pressing during summer holidays.
Special attention will be given to discussion of the situation with cargo aerial ropeway (funicular) in Rezina and Rybnitsa. The Pridnestrovian side expects a constructive discussion on the issue of dismantling of the specified object which has not been used by the sides for many years, threatening technological safety of the population. We shall recall that this issue was extensively discussed during the visit of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Special Representative Andrey Deshchitsa to Kishinev and Rybnitsa on April 24 this year.
A number of other socio-economic and legal issues, including education, environment, foreign trade and communications are also expected to be discussed within the meeting of the Permanent Conference.
As it has been continually noted in the consultations prior to the meeting of the Permanent Conference, the Pridnestrovian side looks forward to a constructive and responsible attitude of all participants confirming their willingness to intensive and systematical work while resolve the existing problems that have a negative impact on the population's living standards without excessive politicization and attempts to give the “5+2” format irrelevant functions and references.
An extended press briefing will be given at 5:45 pm on May 24, following the results of the meeting. All interested media are invited to participate in the briefing. Those participating to the briefing will be political representatives of the sides Nina Shtanski and Yevgeny Karpov, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Special Representative Andrey Deshchitsa and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Jennifer Brush.
