"With a view to the Transdniestrian conflict we have recently made considerable efforts to inject new momentum to the negotiation process between the sides which had come to a standstill for quite some time. We must now, as a first step, tackle those problems that can be solved pragmatically in order to enhance the trust between the sides that is necessary for more far-reaching measures," Steinmeier said at a joint press conference with Filip.
Transnistria, a region dominated by an ethnically Russian and Ukrainian population, broke away from the Soviet Republic of Moldova in 1990, fearing the country might seek to reunify with neighboring Romania. The move triggered a war that ended in a ceasefire in July 1992, but the conflict has remained unresolved.
Since 2005, the talks on the conflict in Transnistria have been held in the 5+2 format that includes the breakaway region, Moldova, the OSCE, Russia, Ukraine, the European Union and the United States. The last round was held on June 2-3.
