CHISINAU, March 23. /TASS/. Direct negotiations between the Moldovan and Transnistrian leadership cannot replace the international "five-plus-two" format (Moldova, Transnistria, OSCE, Russia, Ukraine and observers from the US and EU), Ambassador-at-Large at the Russian Foreign Ministry Vitaly Tryapitsin said on Thursday.

"It is customary to say that there is a need to lend more dynamism to the meetings under the ‘one-plus-one’ format, but I have the impression that these meetings cannot replace the ‘five-plus-two’ format from any point of view," said the diplomat, who met with Transnistrian President Vadim Krasnoselsky together with Russian OSCE Ambassador Alexander Lukashevich.

"As I understand it, the one-plus-one format has not succeeded in resolving any issues either, and no progress is being made at all. The work of the sector-specific expert groups needs to be given a boost, but it is clear that, here, we are returning to our main premise: control over the implementation of the agreements reached," Tryapitsin said.

"And this is where we’re seeing a real mess. We have to work on it," the diplomat told a briefing, also speaking in favor of intensifying negotiations. "This stagnation, which some call a positive stagnation, is worrying. All mechanisms are currently stalled, running on idle," he specified.

The most recent meeting under the "five-plus-two" format took place in October 2019 in Bratislava, but its participants failed to agree on and sign the final document. The negotiation process began to stall after the election of Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who immediately made a number of harsh statements against Tiraspol.

Currently, the Transnistrian authorities are accusing Chisinau of attempting to put in place an economic blockade, as well as applying pressure through legislative amendments that stipulate punishment for separatism. However, Tiraspol insists that negotiations be resumed without any preconditions.