TIRASPOL, July 19 (RIA Novosti, Vladimir Sandutsa) - The leadership of the self-proclaimed Transdnestr Moldovan Republic may attract the United States and the EU as observers if the five-party talks on the Transdnestr settlement are resumed, the president of the breakaway republic on the Dnestr River's left bank said Tuesday.
"We are ready to consider this issue and invite the EU and the U.S. if the equal five-party talks are resumed," Igor Smirnov said. "If the five-party format is not restored we will have nowhere to invite."
Last week Smirnov and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko discussed in Kiev a number of joint approaches to the Transdnestr settlement, including the resumption of the full-scale five-party talks and involvement of the U.S. and EU in this process as observers.
In July 2004, the Moldovan delegation quit the Transdnestr settlement talks and delivered an ultimatum to the Transdnestr leadership.
The five-party talks involved Moldova, the Transdnestr Republic, Russia, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Romania said earlier that it wanted to join the process.
