Ukraine and Russia Call for Renewal of Transnistria Talks

Ukraine and Russia have called for an immediate resumption of the talks to settle the Transnistria problem. Foreign representatives of both states who met to discuss this issue on April 15 believe that talks are the only possible way to resolve the conflict on the political level, “and today everything depends on the political determination of Chisinau and Tiraspol to meet halfway and reconcile the differences that have arisen,” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry press service declared on April 16. The delegations were headed by Deputy State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry Ihor Kharchenko of Ukraine and First Deputy Foreign Minister Viacheslav Trubnikov of Russia. During the consultations the sides discussed the process of negotiations for the settlement of the Transnistria issue, stressing the common stand of Russia and Ukraine on this problem, and voiced concern “over the failure to resume dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol and their failure to honor previously reached agreements.”