CHISINAU, June 7. /TASS/. Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process Thomas Mayr-Harting approved a draft declaration on peaceful settlement between Tiraspol and Chisinau, proposed by Transnistria, the unrecognized republic’s Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatyev told the TSV television.

"I was interested to hear the OSCE Chair’s stance from his special envoy. It is gratifying to note that Mr. Mayr-Harting approved it and voiced his support for the idea, describing it as a step in the right direction," he said.

Ignatyev said that during his May 17 meeting with Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebrian, Transnistria suggested signing a declaration about commitment to peaceful settlement.

In his words, Transnistria needs security guarantees during talks with Moldova in the wake of Chisinau’s decision to criminalize separatism.

Earlier, the Transnistrian minister proposed to activate talks in the "five plus two" format, comprising Moldova, Transnistria, OSCE, Russia, Ukraine and observers from the United States and the European Union.

In February 2023, Moldova’s parliament passed amendments to the Criminal Code envisaging punishment for separatism. Commenting on this decision, parliament speaker Igor Grosu said that sanctions for separatism were meant to make Transnistrian officials "more malleable at the talks with Chisinau." Since then Transnistrian officials have been refraining from visiting Moldova.

Relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol began to steadily deteriorate in 2020 after the election of Maia Sandu as Moldovan president and her harsh statements against Tiraspol. The situation has been exacerbated at the start of this year after Moldova decided to levy duties on goods heading to Transnistria. After Ukraine closed the Transnistrian section of its border with Moldova in 2022, goods can only enter Transnistria through Chisinau-controlled territory. Tiraspol accused Chisinau of using Transnistria's vulnerable position to block supplies of goods and exercise pressure.