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Tiraspol to support Russia’s initiatives on Transdniestrian settlements at talks in Berlin

Tiraspol insists on lifting restrictions on its foreign trade and transport communication Moldova imposed jointly with Ukraine

TIRASPOL, May 31. /TASS/. Tiraspol will support Russia’s initiative on the Transdniestrian settlement at the forthcoming 5+2 settlement talks due to be held in Berlin on June 2-3, Transdniestria’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

"Russia’s initiatives are expected to be in the focus of discussion at the meeting scheduled for June 2-3," the ministry said. Apart from that, the Transdniestrian side plans to raise the problem of mutual criminal prosecution of officials, issues of motor and railway service and education. "Special attention will be paid to the inadmissibility of Moldova’s and Ukraine’s customs control at the Kuchurgan border crossing point," the ministry said.

Russia’s ambassador at large, Sergey Gubarev, who represents Moscow at the 5+2-format talks, Russia called on the parties to elaborate a mechanism for implementation into the national laws of agreements reached in the 5+2 talks. He expressed concern that "neither of the parties implement" these agreements.

Talks in the 5+2 format, involving Moldova and Transdniestria as parties to the conflict, the OSCE as a mediator, Russia and Ukraine as guarantors and the European Union and the United States as observers, have been stuck for the second year. Only two out of five scheduled meetings were held in 2014. Relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol chilled after the Transdniestrial leader accused Moldova and Ukraine of exerting coordinated pressure on the unrecognized republic through economic sanctions.

The parties, with the assistance of mediators, have recently reached an agreement to reset the negotiating process. However following several first meetings in March 2016 Moldovan and Transdniestrian representatives plunged into mutual accusations again.

Tiraspol insists on lifting restrictions on its foreign trade and transport communication Moldova imposed jointly with Ukraine. It also demands Moldova stop criminal prosecution of Transdniestrian officials, recognize Transdniestrian state documents and solve some other problems.

Chisinau expects concessions from Tiraspol on such issues as joint use of land, easing border crossing procedures, etc.