Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov Meets with Transnistrian President Igor Smirnov

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

On February 20, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov received the President of Transnistria, Igor Smirnov.

In the course of the exchange of views the striving of the Russian Federation was noted to continue rendering maximal assistance in restoring trust and reducing the level of confrontation between Chisinau and Tiraspol.

The necessity was stressed of resolving the customs and transport problems that arose in March 2006.  A useful step could be agreeing reliable guarantees of the Moldovan side and the mediators with regard to support of the elaborated, so far on a temporary basis, compromises in this field.

This would actually facilitate establishing necessary conditions for resumption of the Transnistrian settlement process in accordance with the previously reached accords of the sides, with the participation of the international mediators.

February 20, 2007