Tiraspol, 28 June. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Russia's ambassador at large Sergey Gubarev has called on the OSCE chairmanship-in-office to revisit its approach to the work of the «Permanent Conference…», also known as the international «5+2» format represented by the parties to the Moldo-Pridnestrovian conflict, as well as the OSCE, Russia and Ukraine as mediators and the EU and US as observers.
«The negotiation process is continuing to be very challenging as the work of the only internationally recognised negotiating platform is actually blocked. The serious achievement of recent times — the resumption after a two-year pause of the official work of the «Permanent Conference…» with the active assistance of international mediators and, first of all, Russia and the German OSCE chairmanship has been lost," said the diplomat, speaking at the OSCE Annual Security Review Conference held on 27 June in Vienna.
According to Gubarev, the Austrian chairmanship's position that each «5+2» format meeting should end with a tangible result and the signing of specific agreements is «unjustified».
«If the parties to the conflict were able to agree on their own, there would be no need for international mediation," Gubarev believes.
«Today the Austrian OSCE chairmanship-in-office is denying Pridnestrovie, as a full-fledged and equal participant in the negotiations, the opportunity to discuss a wide range of problems within the '5+2' format, which does not contribute to normalising the situation and moving towards a settlement," added the diplomat.
According to Gubarev, the solution to the Moldo-Pridnestrovian conflict can only be a compromise peacefully achieved at the negotiating table. At the same time, Gubarev underscored, the current priority must be to establish a relationship between Moldova and Pridnestrovie by addressing specific issues and creating a climate of confidence.
«Such negotiations are necessary as a process of finding a reasonable compromise. Attempts to leave the sides face to face are not only counterproductive but also dangerous," warned the diplomat.
According to Gubarev, the problem of the Moldo-Pridnestrovian conflict is one of the issues that are in the spotlight among OSCE countries. «This is clearly seen from the fact that the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of OSCE countries have regularly adopted decisions on this matter since 2012. But as a person involved in the process for seven years, I am not sure we'll have sufficient grounds for a similar statement at this year's council in Vienna.
The diplomat also expressed hope that during the remaining time of its mandate, the Austrian chairmanship would revisit its approach to the work of the «Permanent Conference…»
«As long as we do not meet at the negotiating table, the relationship between Kishinev and Tiraspol does not only add to the existing irritating factors but also introduces new ones," added Gubarev.
The diplomat particularly underlined that the settlement of the Moldo-Pridnestrovian conflict was a fundamentally important for Russia, including because over 180,000 Russian citizens live in the PMR. «As no one else, we are interested in the stability of the region, and, as President Putin noted during his meeting with Moldovan President Igor Dodon on 17 January 2017, «Russia is still ready to mediate and guarantee compliance with the agreements that can be reached between the parties," concluded the ambassador.
This year Pridnestrovie has repeatedly proposed to call a meeting in the «5+2» format. Tiraspol wants to discuss the establishment of Modlo-Ukrainian posts at the Pridnestrovian border, as well as other destructive actions by Kishinev.
In this regard, the special representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office, Wolf Dietrich Heim, has repeatedly stated that a «Permanent Conference…» meeting will be convened only when the parties work out a compromise on certain issues and will be ready to sign the corresponding agreements. Thus, as Pridnestrovie's foreign minister Vitaly Ignatyev has underscored, the Austrian chairmanship actually proposes to use the «5+2» format as a place for signing documents rather than a negotiation platform.
