MOLDOVA RESUMES LONG-STALLED TALKS WITH BREAKAWAY REGION (Reuters/Kyiv Post (Ukraine), 1 December 2011)
Updated 2011-12-02
VILNIUS - Officials from Moldova and its rebel Transdniestria region met on Wednesday for the first talks in almost six years to seek a way to end one of Europe's most intractable frozen conflicts.
Two days of talks are planned in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius under the auspices of security body the OSCE, of which Lithuania currently holds the revolving chairmanship.
"It took six years for both sides to sit at one table and to start official talks. That's the biggest achievement today," Lithuania Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis told reporters after a first session.
" ... I am happy to see that we've moved a golden millimetre forward," added Azubalis, whose country chairs the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) this year.
He said the talks, also involving Russian, Ukrainian, U.S. and EU envoys, would begin by agreeing on the principles and procedures for further negotiations.
"We expect to start real work on the settlement of the Transdniestria conflict," Moldova Deputy Prime Minister Eugen Carpov told reporters before entering the talks.
Transdniestria, a strip of land running down the eastern rim of Moldova, has been outside the control of the central government in Chisinau since fighting a brief war after the collapse of Soviet rule in 1992.
Rebels broke off talks in 2006 after a new customs regime by Moldova and Ukraine, which they labelled an economic blockade.
Russia, which supplies Moldova with most of its energy needs, and EU member Romania have long vied for influence in the mostly agricultural landlocked country of 4.5 million.
Moldovan authorities and EU officials say the breakaway region, home to about 550,000 mainly Russian-speaking people, has become a 'black hole' for arms, drugs and people trafficking. Transdniestria is not recognised by any state.
Two days of talks are planned in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius under the auspices of security body the OSCE, of which Lithuania currently holds the revolving chairmanship.
"It took six years for both sides to sit at one table and to start official talks. That's the biggest achievement today," Lithuania Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis told reporters after a first session.
" ... I am happy to see that we've moved a golden millimetre forward," added Azubalis, whose country chairs the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) this year.
He said the talks, also involving Russian, Ukrainian, U.S. and EU envoys, would begin by agreeing on the principles and procedures for further negotiations.
"We expect to start real work on the settlement of the Transdniestria conflict," Moldova Deputy Prime Minister Eugen Carpov told reporters before entering the talks.
Transdniestria, a strip of land running down the eastern rim of Moldova, has been outside the control of the central government in Chisinau since fighting a brief war after the collapse of Soviet rule in 1992.
Rebels broke off talks in 2006 after a new customs regime by Moldova and Ukraine, which they labelled an economic blockade.
Russia, which supplies Moldova with most of its energy needs, and EU member Romania have long vied for influence in the mostly agricultural landlocked country of 4.5 million.
Moldovan authorities and EU officials say the breakaway region, home to about 550,000 mainly Russian-speaking people, has become a 'black hole' for arms, drugs and people trafficking. Transdniestria is not recognised by any state.
