Diplomatic efforts to resolve a longstanding territorial dispute between Moldova and its breakaway Transdniestria region ended in failure Thursday, with negotiators unable to reach any agreements during talks held in the separatist territory.
The discussions took place in Tiraspol, the main city of the pro-Russian breakaway region, as Moldova pushes forward with plans to become a European Union member by 2030. Representatives from both sides pointed fingers at each other for the lack of progress.
Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister Valeriu Chiveri criticized Transdniestria officials for declining to approve a joint statement about restarting official settlement negotiations.
“We believe that this demonstrates just how serious Tiraspol views the process of a settlement,” he said.
However, Transdniestria’s Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev accused Moldovan representatives of undermining the diplomatic process. “We have seen no implementation from Moldova of a single issue on the agenda,” Ignatiev stated.
The unrecognized territory of Transdniestria has operated independently from Moldova for over thirty years, backed by Russia but lacking international legitimacy. The region separated from Moldova prior to the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991, with only a short military confrontation in 1992 before relative peace was established.
Energy issues have complicated the situation recently, as Transdniestria lost access to heavily subsidized Russian natural gas when Ukraine stopped allowing transit through its borders last year.
Moldova escalated tensions Thursday by implementing new restrictions that prevent 1,500 Russian “peacekeeping” forces from entering the country. These troops have maintained the ceasefire between the two territories since the early 1990s.
Additional disputes center on Moldova’s proposals to apply uniform tax policies across all regions, including extending excise taxes and other fees to the separatist area.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who strongly opposes Russia and its war in Ukraine, stated last year that challenges with the separatist territory “do not mean we will put off European integration for 10 or 20 years.”
Ignatiev recently told Russian media that Moldova cannot successfully join the EU without resolving this conflict, “as the EU does not want to import a conflict.”
