Chisinau, January 18, 2008 (Infotag). The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva called for resumption of Transnistria settlement talks and welcomed signs that both sides were willing to discuss the free movement of goods, services and people across the river, the OSCE Mission to Moldova reported.

"The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has been working intensively with the chief negotiators to restart the 5+2 negotiations. My decision to come to Moldova at the very beginning of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship reflects our priority to bring progress to the talks. The OSCE, including my Special Envoy, Ambassador Heikki Talvitie, is ready to work with the other Mediators and Observers to assist both sides in finding lasting solutions," said Minister Kanerva.

He referred to the 5+2 process that brings together the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the OSCE as mediators, together with the European Union and United States as observers, with the two parties represented by the authorities in Tiraspol and the Moldovan government.

Ilkka Kanerva visited Moldova, including its Transnistrian region, as part of his first trip as OSCE Chairman-in-Office. He also visited Ukraine earlier this week, meeting with the country’s top figures in Kiev, and then traveled to Odessa city to visit the headquarters of the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine.

In Chisinau, the Chairman-in-Office met Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin, Parliamentary Speaker Marian Lupu and Andrei Stratan, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration. In Tiraspol, Minister Kanerva met the leadership of Moldova's breakaway Transdniestrian region.

Ilkka Kanerva welcomed recent signs that both sides were open to a good-faith dialogue on practical issues such as restrictions on freedom of movement and the interruption of communications links.
"This would be an important first step, and people on both sides of the river would profit if solutions for these practical matters were found," he said. "Furthermore, engagement can help build trust and assist us in achieving progress on the status question."

BACKGROUND: Heikki Talvitie is a diplomat of vast experience. He was Finland’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Soviet Union and later to Russia, and is presently the Chairman of the Finland-Russia Friendship Society. He is reputed as an expert in settling frozen conflicts. In 2003-2006, he was Co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group and the EU Special Envoy at the Caucasus region, and tackled the Nagorny Karabakh conflict.  // Infotag

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