UPDATE 2 - Dodon Says Transnistrian Head Agreed Peacekeepers Maintain Regional Security

CHISINAU/TIRASPOL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th September, 2018) Moldovan President Igor Dodon said on Thursday that he and the head of the self-proclaimed republic of Transnistria, Vadim Krasnoselsky, agreed that the presence of a multinational peacekeeping force in Transnistria ensured peace and stability in the region.

"We have reaffirmed the importance of the ongoing peacekeeping operation in the Dniester River area as a guarantor of peace and security of the people, and we have agreed to take joint steps to avoid the situation in the security zone from worsening, something which might disturb the peace and stability not only in Moldova but in the region as a whole," Dodon said at his talks with Krasnoselsky in the Moldovan village of Condrita.

The Moldovan president noted that both Chisinau and Tiraspol believed the Transnistria settlement process required constant dialogue.

"We have expressed our readiness to fully implement the reached agreements and continue the dialogue aimed at reaching new possibilities," Dodon pointed out.

After his meeting with Krasnoselsky, Dodon wrote on Facebook that he had agreed with the Transnistrian leader that no issues would be avoided in their bilateral discussions.

"It is necessary to continue the open dialogue on various levels and platforms which would help establish trust between the residents of both banks of the Dniester River," the Moldovan president pointed out.

Dodon suggested that the work of NGOs, associations and public initiatives, aimed at overcoming various disagreements between Moldova and Transnistria, be encouraged and supported by both sides.

The Moldovan president added that he and Krasnoselsky had discussed economic issues, namely the implementation of the package of agreements reached during their 2017 meeting in the Moldovan city of Bender.

Krasnoselsky, in his turn, said in a statement issued after the talks that his next meeting with Dodon might be held by the end of the year.

"Dialogue is the most important thing. Nothing can be achieved and no movement forward is possible without it. I believe that the next meeting will not be long in the coming," Krasnoselsky pointed out.

Transnistria, a region with a predominantly ethnically Russian and Ukrainian population, seceded from the Soviet Republic of Moldova in 1990, fearing its possible reunion with Romania. The separation led to an armed conflict that ended in a ceasefire in July 1992, although the issue is still unresolved.

Since 1992, peacekeepers have been deployed to maintain stability in the security zone in Transnistria. The mission comprises military personnel from Moldova, Transnistria and Russia as well as Ukrainian observers.