Transdnistria: 5+2 negotiations

Talks on breakaway republic Transdnestr to resume next month, EU officialThe talks on Moldova's breakaway republic of Transdnestr will resume in early November in the unrecognized republic's capital of Tiraspol, a high-ranking European diplomat said. The 5+2 talks involving Russia, Ukraine, the OSCE, Moldova, Transdnestr, as well as the U.S. and the EU, stalled in 2006. "We are now discussing the dates for all 5+2 representatives to arrive to Transdnesr for talks on political platform and other issues," said Miroslav Lajcak, the Managing Director for Russia, Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans of the EU European External Action Service. The unrecognized republic's president Igor Smirnov said his delegation would not discuss "Moldova's territorial integrity" at the talks. "If there are any attempts to raise the issue of Moldova's territorial integrity, [the talks] will fail," he said. RIA Novosti [en], 19 October 2011

EUBAM mandate prolongation confirmed At the 17th Advisory Board Meeting of the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) held in Odessa 17 October, participants including Moldovan and Ukrainian agencies and government representatives, the European Commission, the UNDP, and the OSCE, reviewed the activities and progress achieved by EUBAM as outlined in the Mission’s Activity Report for the period March-September 2011. The Advisory Board also confirmed the prolongation of the EUBAM mandate beyond 30 November 2011, and endorsed the Mission’s Phase 9 Action Plan. The Head of EUBAM, Mr Udo Burkholder said that now that prolongation of EUBAM’s mandate had been confirmed, the Mission would intensify its capacity-building initiatives, continue to offer technical proposals as a contribution to the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, and provide the Ukrainian and Moldovan authorities with support and advice in the visa liberalisation process. EUBAM [en], 17 October 2011

JCC discusses tensions in security zone The Joint Control Commission on the conflict between Moldova and its breakaway Transdniestria region on Wednesday held one more emergency meeting in dealing with tensions caused by checkpoints unilaterally set up by Transdniestria on its border with Moldova. The commission held its first meeting to look into the situation on Tuesday. "Moldova's position remains unchanged - the new posts that have been unilaterally put up by [Transdniestria] outside the village of Pogrebea and the Dubasari hydro electric power plant are illegal and raise extra obstacles for the movements of people," Ion Solonenco, Moldovan co-chairman of the commission, told Interfax. Transdniestrian co-chairman Oleg Belyakov argued in an interview with Transdniestrian television that the tensions could have been avoided if the two sides had discussed alleged need for tighter control of Transdniestrian-Moldovan border in advance. He confirmed that on Monday migration and customs posts were put up near the village and power plant and said this was needed to prevent weapons, drugs and other goods from being smuggled across the border. Transdniestrian leader Igor Smirnov said: "By putting up additional passport control and customs posts, Transdniestria has fulfilled the conditions of the European Union Mission for the assistance to border regions in Ukraine and Moldova as regards strict control of border crossing." "Just yesterday I was notified about the arrest of a person with drugs who had come here from Moldova. They can cite similar incidents [of people crossing over] from here. All this confirms that control is needed. We say let's set up a bilateral post," Smirnov told reporters. He said it was not in Transdniestria's interests to exacerbate the situation in the security zone, the area along the Transdniestrian-Moldovan border. "But we will defend our statehood," he said. Infotag, 26 October 2011

Transnistria ready to host EUBAM, threatens to stop freight rail transportTransnistrian authorities are ready to host the European Union Border Assitance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine on its territory, said the region’s leader Igor Smirnov, at a meeting with the Head of OSCE Mission to Moldova, Philip Remler. If appropriate measures are not taken

in the near future, Tiraspol will close its borders for the freight rail transport, he noted. Igor Smirnov said that all the efforts of the Moldovan authorities to “force Transnistrian businesses into their legislative field are doomed to fail”. "Not having anything to do with the economy of Moldova, our companies export its products to neighboring countries and beyond. I am ready to stop this mess that we must additionally pay Moldova for cargo dispatch. I am ready to put EUBAM - European Union Border Assitance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine - on the Transnistrian border. Please, check everything we have produced, all of our products. We will ship goods to wherever we decide. Let us work directly, by concluding a contract with them. We need to execute the Memorandum of economic independence, which was signed in Moscow in 1997. You always get around this issue!” said the leader of the unrecognized republic. In addition, Igor Smirnov, touched the problem of restoring railway cargo transportation, saying that the Ukrainian, Moldovan and Transnistrian railroaders have long ago agreed on everything. "Only a political solution is required. However, the resolution of this issue is delayed. Our enterprises continue to incur losses. In these circumstances, the Transdniestrian leadership would consider the option of stopping the transit railway cargo transportation through the territory of our country. We will close it and that’s it. Please, drive as you previously did. What is the meaning of all this? Now it turns out that we benefit Ukraine, Russia and Moldova, too,” he added. Moldnews, 26 October 2011

Transnistria not to discuss Moldova’s territorial integrity Attempts to raise questions related to the Republic of Moldova's territorial integrity at 5+2 format negotiations are useless, for they can lead to nothing, believes the leader of the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (PMR) Igor Smirnov. On Tuesday, Smirnov received Miroslav Lajcak, Head of the EU European External Action Service (EEAS) Department for Relations with the Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership and Russia, and stated to him, "one cannot combine the non-combinable". Smirnov voiced concern about the situation developing lately in the Transnistria Security Zone, where 28 incidents were recorded last couple of months, provoked by Moldova against the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic. In this connection, Smirnov undertook several measures, in particular he appointed Transnistrian minister of state security lieutenant general Vladimir Antiufeyev as one in charge of coordination of actions by power structures and other relevant state agencies to prevent Moldovan provocations in the Security Zone. According to the Transnistrian public television, Miroslav Lajcak is also concerned about the escalation of tension. He stressed that nobody may make steps leading to aggravation of the situation. The diplomat suggested arranging a meeting between minister Antiufeyev and his Moldovan colleague to try and resolve disputable questions. Igor Smirnov supported the initiative. According to Miroslav Lajcak, the process of building trust between the two Dniester River banks is fairly long and complicated, requiring honest, continuous efforts in order to solve the problems faced by the grassroots. Miroslav Lajcak believes it is necessary to hold a first official meeting in the format of 5+2 yet before the end of 2011 and, therefore, to outline first-priority questions for its agenda without delay. Lajcak also met Supreme Soviet Speaker Anatoly Kaminsky. Infotag, 19 October 2011

German envoy urges Chisinau, Tiraspol not to aggravate situation in security zoneGerman Foreign Ministry special representative in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia Patricia Flor has urged Moldova and Transdniestria not to create obstacles to the resumption of the negotiating process on the Transdniestrian settlement. At the Moldovan government press service, Interfax was told that on Tuesday Flor mulled the latest developments and the prospects of the conflict settlement with Moldovan Vice Premier for Reintegration Eugen Carpov. "The worsening of the situation in the security zone after the installation of two border and customs posts near the village of Pogrebia and the Dubasari by Tiraspol was a separate item of discussion," the report says. Carpov thinks that this move by Transdniestria "violates the resolutions of the Joint Control Commission and the provisions of the 1992 ceasefire agreement." "The leadership of Moldova consistently speaks out for the establishment of a constructive dialogue between both banks of the Dniester through promoting confidence-building measures," he said. During her two-day stay in Moldova, the

German envoy also visited Tiraspol where she met the president of the self-proclaimed Transdniestrian Republic, Igor Smirnov. A report of his press service says that Flor urged Chisinau and Tiraspol "to refrain from various actions so as not to complicate the situation in the security zone where various incidents that can potentially develop into more serious conflicts have become more frequent." Smirnov assured Flor that "the Transdniestrian side is ready for talks and welcomes the efforts of mediators, guarantors and observers in this direction." He noted that despite the understandings reached in Moscow in September "there have been no significant changes in resolving the problems that worry the population of Moldova and Transdniestria." Infotag, 26 October 2011