Chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Audronius Azubalis will meet on Wednesday with the leader of the Moldova's breakaway region of Transdnestr.
OSCE Chairman and Lithuanian Foreign Minster Azubalis is meeting with Transdnestr President Igor Smirnov in Tiraspol, the capital of Transdnestr, to discuss perspectives for resuming official negotiations on a regional conflict.
The talks on the future of Transdnestr in the "five-plus-two" format, involving Russia, Ukraine, OSCE, Moldova, Transdnestr, with the United States and the EU as observers, have been frozen since February 2006.
The Russian-speaking province of Transdnestr has maintained de facto independence from Moldova since a brief war in 1992, which erupted from a buildup of tensions following the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Tiraspol insists on independence, and even integration with Russia, while Chisinau says it is willing only to give Transdnestr autonomy within Moldova.
Transdnestr also insists it should be an integral part of any talks or agreements on the settlement issue.
TIRASPOL, February 9 (RIA Novosti)
