Document on resolution of Transnistrian conflict to be signed till November
The second meeting this year between Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin and leader of the unrecognized Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic Igor Smirnov is about to take place. That is but a prelude to an even bigger event, the signing of a joint statement on the resolution of the longtime conflict with the preservation of Moldova's territorial integrity. That document will be signed in the presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and will launch the final settlement process of the Transdniestrian problem. Moscow is rushing to show off its successes in this field before the December meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
Authorities in Chisinau and Tiraspol are preparing for the meeting of the two leaders. Last week, Smirnov announced that he had instructed the Transdniestrian Foreign Ministry to prepare materials for the negotiations. Smirnov said contacts were being renewed in order to normalize relations between the two sides of the Dniester River and "ensure peace, stability and prosperous conditions for the peoples of the republic."
Smirnov did not specify the date of the talks. A source in the Transdniestrian Foreign Ministry said however, that the meeting will be this week. "We insisted that it take place on September 19, but that didn't suit the Moldovan side. Chisinau is suggesting September 23, but that isn't good for us," a high-placed source in the Transdniestrian Foreign Ministry said. "Now we are talking about the second half of the week." The source said the negotiations could take place earlier as well.
The place of the meeting remains unchanged. Voronin and Smirnov will meet in the city of Bendery, where their first face-to-face meeting in seven years took place on April 11. Since then, events have taken place that clearly show Moscow's desire for a final settlement of the Transdniestrian problem and peace between Chisinau and Tiraspol. Medvedev received Voronin and Smirnov separately in his Sochi residence and assured them both that Russia would become the guarantor of the future agreement between them, Kommersant daily reports.
Authorities in Chisinau and Tiraspol are preparing for the meeting of the two leaders. Last week, Smirnov announced that he had instructed the Transdniestrian Foreign Ministry to prepare materials for the negotiations. Smirnov said contacts were being renewed in order to normalize relations between the two sides of the Dniester River and "ensure peace, stability and prosperous conditions for the peoples of the republic."
Smirnov did not specify the date of the talks. A source in the Transdniestrian Foreign Ministry said however, that the meeting will be this week. "We insisted that it take place on September 19, but that didn't suit the Moldovan side. Chisinau is suggesting September 23, but that isn't good for us," a high-placed source in the Transdniestrian Foreign Ministry said. "Now we are talking about the second half of the week." The source said the negotiations could take place earlier as well.
The place of the meeting remains unchanged. Voronin and Smirnov will meet in the city of Bendery, where their first face-to-face meeting in seven years took place on April 11. Since then, events have taken place that clearly show Moscow's desire for a final settlement of the Transdniestrian problem and peace between Chisinau and Tiraspol. Medvedev received Voronin and Smirnov separately in his Sochi residence and assured them both that Russia would become the guarantor of the future agreement between them, Kommersant daily reports.
