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Transnistrian issue on the agenda of the EU-Moldova Cooperation Council

The Transnistrian issue was one of the subjects discussed at the EU-Moldova Cooperation Council on 19 June, which was preceded by a working breakfast dedicated entirely to the Transnistrian issue. Below we present the key conclusions of the meeting on Transnistria, as formulated at the wrap up press conference held by German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, EU Special Representative for Moldova, Kalman Mizsei, and the President of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin:

• The Moldovan “package of proposals”: Minister Steinmeier stated that the EU German Presidency has been informed and welcomes the fact that Moldova has initiated a bilateral dialogue with Russia on Transnistria, but has stressed that this dialogue needs to lead to the resumption of the “5+2” talks, within which any possible solution needs to be discussed. Kalman Mizsei stated in his turn that an in-depth discussion about the Transnistrian settlement prospects took place, within which the need for any solution to be tackled in the “5+2” format was stressed. Mizsei said he was informed of the package of proposals that Moldova submitted to its Russian partners on a bilateral basis in the autumn of 2006 and that he believed the basic elements of these proposals were “healthy” ones and formed “a good basis for negotiations”, yet “negotiations need to take place in the «5+2» format”.

• EUBAM and the Moldovan-Ukrainian regime: Kalman Mizsei reiterated the importance of the Mission for settling the Transnistrian conflict, and mentioned the President Voronin’s appreciation of this initiative. Likewise, Mizsei said that the EU continues to work with the Moldovan Government with a view to extend European trade preferences to Transnistrian companies, including the ones with a provisional registration.

• The peacekeeping mechanism: President Voronin said that this topic was not discussed at the 19 June meeting, but that when the “5+2” talks are concluded it is necessary to “reorganise” the current peacekeeping mechanism from a military to a civilian one.

While in Luxemburg President Voronin met with EU CFSP High Representative, Javier Solana. According to Moldpres, the two “discussed in detail the Transnistrian settlement prospects”, including from the perspective of the Voronin — Putin meeting on 22 June 2007.

One of the conclusions we can draw in light of the above is that the official Chisinau has informed its European partners about the contents of talks let with Russia in the past months, and, according to analysts, the latter seemed much more reassured with regard to the Voronin-Putin upcoming meeting on 22 June, as well as quite convinced by the good intentions and assurances received from President Voronin that the “5+2” format remains the only mechanism for discussing and approving any solution on Transnistria.

Voronin — Putin talks: 10 June — 22 June — 30 June

On 22 June President Vladimir Voronin had a new meeting with his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, at the latter’s residence in Novo-Ogarevo. According to an extremely laconic communique issued by the presidential press service, the two presidents “examined in detail the entire agenda of bilateral relations”. The Transnistrian settlement was also considered, and the “importance of re-launching the negotiations process” was mentioned.

The meeting is the second Voronin-Putin one in June, and a third meeting took place on 30 June, at the informal summit of CIS Heads of State in Rostov on Don.

Despite this fervent presidential diplomatic marathon in the past months, the official Chisinau continued to abstain from informing the local public opinion about the contents of the Moldovan-Russian talks. Thus, the exact contents of these talks remains one wrapped in mystery for the local public opinion.

It seems though that the package of Moldovan proposals, the object of the Moldovan-Russian talks, has been presented to the partners from the “5+2” format, and between his meetings with Putin on 22 and 30 June, President Voronin invited the diplomats accredited in Chisinau to his residency in Condrita to inform them about the contents and progress thereof.

According to a presidential press service communique, in Condrita President Voronin informed diplomats about the “latest developments in the Transnistrian settlement process”, mentioning the “efficient dialogue let in Moscow with the head of the Russian state, Vladimir Putin”. Naturally, no further details about the exact contents of this “efficient dialogue” were released.

Transnistrian problem — priority of the National Development Plan

The draft of the National Development Plan — a framework document of “mid-term strategic planning” drafted under the aegis of the Ministry of Economy of Moldova was launched for debates on 26 June within an international conference. Among the five mid-term national priorities, the NDP defines the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict and the reintegration of the country and includes a separate component on this issue. The document proposes achieving a comprehensive and lasting solution of the Transnistrian conflict through efforts in two directions — the political and the socio-economic dimensions (see www.pnd.md). At the same time, the NDP proposes a number of measures aimed at creating a favourable context for a final political solution: complex democratisation and civil society development, demilitarisation and security, socio-economic reintegration.

Within the public debates on the provisions of the NDP regarding Transnistria, the multidimensional and comprehensive approach of the Transnistrian settlement laid out for the first time in a strategic development plan was welcomed. The other novelty is that the issue is recognised as one directly related to the socio-economic development of the entire Moldova. At the same time, civil society representatives noted the need to detail some of the proposed provisions, as well as to assess the feasibility of some of them.

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