01/26/09
On January 26, 2009, a meeting took place between the RF MFA Ambassador-at-Large, Valeriy Nesterushkin, and the PMR Foreign Minister, Vladimir Yastrebchak, at the Pridnestrovien Foreign Office. The Minister Counsellor of the RF Embassy to Moldova, Vitaliy Tryapitsin, also took part in the meeting. The meeting was focused on the current situation in Moldova-Pridnestrovie settlement process, as well as the timeframe and coordination procedure between the Russian and Pridnestrovien foreign offices this year. As Valeriy Nesterushkin put it, it was “synchronization of watches”. The interlocutors exchanged their opinions on the meetings which had taken place at the end of 2008 in the framework of Moldova-Pridnestrovie settlement, and discussed immediate prospects. As to the date of renewal of Moldova-Pridnestrovie negotiations, the Russian diplomat noted that this was the exclusive prerogative of Chisinau and Tiraspol. “We, as mediators, should create the necessary conditions, but it is the sides who should take the decisions,” Valeriy Nesterushkin said. He confirmed the information that all the mediators had been handed the package of Moldovan proposals on Moldova-Pridnestrovien settlement. However, he chose not to assess these proposals, stating that this “was not the responsibility of Russia as the guarantor country and mediator. The Pridnestrovien side is the one that should express its opinion on these proposals, and other settlement actors can only give their view.” Answering the journalists' questions about the forthcoming visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, to Chisinau, Valeriy Nesterushkin did not rule out his possible contacts with Pridnestrovien representatives as well. As to the cooperation between Pridnestrovie and Russia in the humanitarian area, the diplomat noted that these issues were addressed at the level of the RF Embassy to Moldova, at the same time he said that Russia was considering possible financial assistance to Pridnestrovie. Pridnestrovien Foreign Minister Vladimir Yastrebchak expressed his satisfaction with the meeting and noted that now consultations take place in the bilateral format with all the settlement actors. Answering the journalists' question about the declaration by the Coordination Council of the Pridnestrovien Public Organizations, calling for boycotting the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Moldova, Vladimir Yastrebchak pointed out that this was the right of the civil society. Giving his personal opinion, Yastrebchak said that the Pridnestrovien citizens should take an active part in the Pridnestrovien elections. Valeriy Nesterushkin and Vladimir Yastrebchak noted that now the pace of close cooperation on a wide range of issues in Russia-Pridnestrovie relations is being restored.
