Transdniester Talks End With No Breakthrough
28 January 2006 -- Talks between Moldova's government and its breakaway Transdniester region on ending their 15-year-old dispute have ended with no progress.
The two days of talks, held in Chisinau, and in the Transdniester's capital, Tiraspol, were mediated by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
OSCE mission chief William Hill said the two sides remain far apart on all issues.
Russian speaking Transdniester proclaimed independence in 1990, fearing Moldova would re-unite with neighboring Romania.
The two sides fought a brief but bloody war in 1992, which ended in a truce enforced by Russian troops.
Some 1,500 Russian soldiers are still deployed in Transdniester, despite Moscow's pledge to withdraw both its troops and military equipment from the region.
Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin has accused Russia of inhibiting a settlement by refusing to withdraw troops.
(Reuters, ITAR-TASS)
Stela Jantuan, head of the Information, Analysis, and Prognosis Service of the Moldovan parliament (RFE/RL)
FROZEN CONFLICT: On January 11, 2006, RFE/RL's Washington office hosted a panel discussion on prospects for settling the Transdniester conflict. The roundtable featured STEFAN GLIGOR and STELA JANTUAN of the Information, Analysis, and Prognosis Service of the Moldovan parliament and ALEXANDRU FLENCHA, head of the information and analysis division of Moldova's Ministry of Reintegration.
LISTEN
Listen to the complete panel discussion (about 90 minutes):
Real Audio Windows Media
TALKS CONTINUE. The conflict between the Republic of Moldova and the unrecognized, separatist Transdniester Republic has festered for more than 15 years. A decade of talks supervised by the OSCE, Russia, and Ukraine have stagnated, while allegations mount concerning the involvement of Transdniester separatists in money-laundering and trafficking in arms, drugs, and human beings. What are the current prospects for settling this frozen conflict? (more)
ARCHIVE
An archive of RFE/RL's coverage of Transdniester.
