Transnistria Issue Settlement Must Proceed 'Within Framework of Single Moldova'

MINSK (Sputnik) — Dodon said it was very important to agree on the status of Transnistria within the framework of a single Moldavia and to understand that it is possible to negotiate with Transnistria on the principles of Moldova's obligatory neutrality and the preservation of Moldovan statehood.

"The problem is purely political, there are political elites who, unfortunately, do not yet want to solve this issue," Dodon said in an interview with the Belarusian ONT channel.

The Moldovan president also said that "the role of the Russian Federation is very important."

Dodon also added that Belarus' position on this issue is also important. "The position of our partners in Belarus is very important, Belarus has always recognized the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova," he added.

The Transnistrian conflict began in 1990 when the region, with its predominantly Russian and Ukrainian population, seceded from the Soviet Republic of Moldova for fear of Moldova's potential unification with Romania. The separation led to a conflict that ended in a ceasefire declared on July 21, 1992. Despite this fact, the conflict remains unresolved.

Since 2005, the talks on the Transnistria conflict's settlement have been held in the 5+2 format, which, apart from Transnistria and Moldova, includes the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Russia, Ukraine, the European Union and the United States as mediators. The latest round was held on June 2-3, 2016 in Berlin.