Russian diplomat, Transdniestrian leader discuss Ukrainian crisis, 5+2 talks
TIRASPOL. June 10 (Interfax) - Russian State Secretary - Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin met with Yevgeny Shevchuk, President of the unrecognized Transdniestrian Republic, in Tiraspol on Tuesday.
They spoke about key global issues in the context of Ukrainian events and the latest round of the Moldovan-Transdniestrian settlement negotiations held in Vienna on June 5-6 in the 5+2 format (Transdniestria and Moldova as the conflicting sides, Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE as mediators, and the European Union and the United States are observers).
"The Ukrainian crisis has reached a point at which the international community, primarily, neighboring states, see as their duty the immediate launch of a dialogue [between Kyiv and] the eastern regions aimed to stop the bloodshed. This is the only way to find solutions to the problems, which, unfortunately, have been piling up for years rather than months," Karasin said after he had met with Shevchuk.
He said they had discussed Ukrainian border crossing by Russian citizens residing in Transdniestria amongst other problems.
"The Ukrainian side has not given any detailed or satisfactory explanations. We will continue to seek the lift of the restrictions. This depends on two factors, to a large extent. The first factor is the ongoing profound political crisis in Ukraine. The second is rather rapid progress of the pre-election period in Moldova, in which the government and the authorities as a whole try to toughen their stand and demonstrate their political will. But sometimes this is not justified," Karasin said.
"We will maintain constant contacts with all parties to these processes in order to find an acceptable solution to the problem," the Russian deputy foreign minister said.