Political and OSCE representatives discussed in Bender the most current topics that concern both banks of the Nistru River
On April 8, 2025, at the Bender office of the OSCE Mission to the Republic of Moldova, the political representatives in the negotiation process for the Transnistrian settlement, Oleg Serebrian and Vitalii Ignatiev, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office for the Transnistrian Settlement Process, Thomas Lenk, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Ambassador Kelly Keiderling, discussed the most current topics proposed on the agenda by Chișinău and Tiraspol.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration primarily referred to the urgent need to resolve long-standing issues in the sphere of guaranteeing respect for human rights in the Transnistrian region, in particular by ensuring the free movement of all categories of citizens, eliminating restrictions and prohibitions on the activity of journalists on the left bank of the Nistru River, and eliminating the infrastructure of unauthorized posts and obstacles within the perimeter of the Security Zone.
The chief negotiator from Chișinău brought to attention the issue of citizens of the Republic of Moldova, illegally detained in places of deprivation of liberty in the region, with the clear message that the investigation of their cases can only be carried out by law enforcement bodies empowered by law, their release must be unconditional, and Tiraspol is necessary to remove the grounds of persecution and illegitimate imprisonment of citizens, including to repeal the so-called regulations of alleged struggle with „extremism”.
Oleg Serebrian recalled that Tiraspol is expected to provide written guarantees and confirmations regarding the transfer to the balance of the Ministry of Education and Research of the building complex on Gagarin Street No. 14 in the city of Rîbnița intended for the „Evrika” Theoretical Lyceum.
With reference to Tiraspol's reiteration of the proposal to finalize and formalize a draft declaration of political representatives on the peaceful settlement and at the negotiating table of all existing issues, it was reminded that the parameters of the settlement can be based exclusively on respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova.
The political representative from Tiraspol continues to insist that the criminalization of separatism constitutes an obstacle to the negotiation process and to participation in working meetings at the Chișinău office of the OSCE Mission to the Republic of Moldova, in response Chișinău recalled that such barriers are currently absent and it is necessary to observe the principle of rotation, so that the meetings are convened in Chișinău, Bender and Tiraspol, with the participation of interested correspondents from both banks of the Nistru River.
It was decided to hold a meeting of sectoral working groups in the near future with the participation of experts from both banks of the Nistru River: in the field of statistics, education, health care, banking aspects, etc.
