The owners of vehicles in Moldova’s separatist region of Transdniester will receive neutral registration plates and will be allowed to participate in international road traffic as of September this year, according to an agreement between Chisinau and Tiraspol backed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Moldova's government said that, under the protocol signed in the city of Bender in Transdniester on April 24, privately-owned vehicle'’ registration plates will have three letters and three figures.
Each vehicle will have a technical passport in line with requirements of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
The registration of the vehicles is to be conducted at two offices to be set up in the cities of Tiraspol and Rabnita with the assistance of the OSCE's Mission in Moldova.
Moscow-backed Transdniester declared independence from Moldova in 1990. The two sides fought a brief war in 1992 that ended when the Russian military intervened on the side of Transdniester.
Transdniester's independence is not recognized by any country.
In a statement, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini’s spokesperson, Maja Kocijancic, said the agreement “represents an important step forward and contributes to a positive dynamic in the Transnistrian settlement process.”
The statement called for a swift and thorough implementation of the agreement, saying it would “bring tangible benefits to the population, bringing both banks closer together.”
