OSCE Praises Ukrainian Role In Transdniester Dispute

A Ukrainian guard at the country's border with the breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniester (file photo) (ITAR-TASS) PRAGUE, June 2, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) today encouraged Ukrainian leaders to continue to mediate in the dispute between Moldova and its separatist region of Transdniester.

Karel De Gucht , the chairman of the OSCE, met today in Kyiv with President Viktor Yushchenko and Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk.


De Gucht praised Yushchenko for personally taking a role in the search for a settlement of the Transdniester dispute. He also called for the negotiations to be resumed under international mediation.


The so-called "five-plus-two" negotiations' format includes Moldova and Transdniester, with Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE as mediators, as well as the EU and the United States as observers.


On June 1 and today, De Gucht visited the border between Ukraine and Moldova, and the EU monitoring mission there.

The Transdniester Conflict

The Transdniester Conflict

Stela Jantuan, head of the Information, Analysis, and Prognosis Service of the Moldovan parliament (RFE/RL)

FROZEN CONFLICT: On January 11, 2006, RFE/RL's Washington office hosted a panel discussion on prospects for settling the Transdniester conflict. The roundtable featured STEFAN GLIGOR and STELA JANTUAN of the Information, Analysis, and Prognosis Service of the Moldovan parliament and ALEXANDRU FLENCHA, head of the information and analysis division of Moldova's Ministry of Reintegration.


LISTEN

Listen to the complete panel discussion (about 90 minutes):
Real Audio Windows Media

TALKS CONTINUE. The conflict between the Republic of Moldova and the unrecognized, separatist Transdniester Republic has festered for more than 15 years. A decade of talks supervised by the OSCE, Russia, and Ukraine have stagnated, while allegations mount concerning the involvement of Transdniester separatists in money-laundering and trafficking in arms, drugs, and human beings. What are the current prospects for settling this frozen conflict? (more)


ARCHIVE

An archive of RFE/RL's coverage of Transdniester.