Moscow Interested in Revitalization of Talks on Transnistria Settlement

Russia is interested in revitalization of talks on the Transnistrian settlement and economic problems in the breakaway region, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Saturday.

CHISINAU (Sputnik) — Rogozin, Russian president's special representative in charge of Transnistria talks, added that the key issues in the region were related first and foremost to the well-being and safety of people.

"I believe it would be right if Transnistria’s executive power could convey economic concerns of people on the left bank of Dniester River to the president of Moldova," Rogozin said on the outcomes of a meeting with Moldovan President Igor Dodon that took place in Chisinau in the early hours of the day.

"We in Russia will be pleased with positive steps in this direction," the minister stressed.

Transnistria, a region with a predominantly ethical Russian and Ukrainian population, broke away from the Soviet Republic of Moldova in 1990, fearing the country might seek to reunify with neighboring Romania. The move triggered a war that ended in a ceasefire in July 1992, but the conflict has remained unresolved.

Since 2005, the talks on the conflict in Transnistria have been held in the 5+2 format that includes the breakaway region, Moldova, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Russia, Ukraine, plus the European Union and the United States as external observers. The last round was held on June 2-3, 2016.