Next round of Transdniestria settlement talks to be held in Vienna

World April 25, 2014, 21:23

“As of now, there is nothing that might hinder this round of talks,” the Russian representative noted

MOSCOW, April 25. /ITAR-TASS/. A next regular round of talks on the Transdniestrian settlement in the 5+2 format will be held in Vienna, Russia’s ambassador at large Sergei Gubarev, who represents Russian at this negotiating process, told ITAR-TASS on Friday.

The negotiating process involves Moldova and Transdniestria as parties to the conflict, Russia and Ukraine as go-betweens and settlement guarantors, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as another mediator and the United States and the European Union as observers.

“As of now, there is nothing that might hinder this round of talks,” the Russian diplomat noted. “We are yet to agree the date acceptable for all participants in the talks. As soon as it is done, the agenda will be clarified. The agenda is drafted by a special envoy of the OSCE chairperson-in-office some two weeks before the beginning of the round based on proposals of both parties.”

Gubarev said he thought that the agenda of the forthcoming round was likely to include problems related to the first two “baskets” of the negotiations’ agenda formed after the OSCE “baskets.” “The first basket includes socio-economic issues, the second one - general law, humanitarian and human rights issues, and the third one is dedicated to comprehensive settlement, including problems of the status, political and security aspects,” he noted. “So far, the third “basket” has not been unsealed at the talks. Time has not arrived yet to do that, since the positions of the parties are a far cry from a compromise.

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