MOSCOW, June 10 (RIA Novosti) - Ukrainian Ambassador at Large Dmitry Tkach who attended two-day Moscow consultations on Transdniestria said on Friday about Russia's readiness to cooperate in the so-called Yushchenko settlement plan.
"The Russian side has got no essential objections but shows support for many provisions and readiness to contribute to definite measures," Tkach said.
He explained that he came to Moscow in the wake of rumors about Russia's being intent on its own plan of Transdniestria settlement but found out that there was no counter-ideas at all. Russia is prepared to work over Ukraine's plans and promised to make an official statement about its position on the Yushchenko plan in the near future, Tkach said. Nor is Moscow against Ukraine's intention to take part in the peacekeeping mission in Transdniestria. It is important that the U.S. and the European Union join the guarantees pool - it is the key task, Tkach said.
The ambassador at large said Transdniestria plan meant for 18 months was presented by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko at the summit of Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova (GUUAM) in Chisinau in late April, 2005. It provides for the state-by-stage settlement of the problem connected with the self-proclaimed republic (once part of Moldova) on the left bank of the Dniester. Among other things, there are the demands that the Transdniestrian authority should create conditions for the development of democracy at the regional and nationwide levels and carry out free and democratic elections to the Supreme Council of Transdniestria as a representative council of Transdniestria in Moldova (that is to recognize de jure the self-proclaimed Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic as part of the Republiuc of Moldova); the European Union, OSCE, Russia and the U.S. should ensure control over the transparency of these elections; the Russian peacekeeping mission in Transdniestria should be transformed into a multi-ethnic mission under the OSCE aegis; Transdniestria should accept an international monitoring group on its territory. Ukraine is prepared to let in an OSCE mission for it to monitor the movement of goods across the Transdniestria strip of the Ukrainian-Moldova border and calls upon Transdniestria to follow suit.
In the Russian-Ukrainian consultations on Transdniestria, Russia was represented by Ambassadors at Large Igor Savolsky and Valery Nesterushkin. The sides have agreed to hold such talks once in two weeks.
