Speaker of Moldovan Parliament and Acting President Marian Lupu greets President Efthymiou in Chisinau.CHISINAU, 6 May 2011 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou today called for a resumption of official negotiations between Chisinau and Tiraspol following high-level meetings in Moldova. The visit is the first of a series of visits that President Efthymiou will conduct in the coming weeks to areas of protracted conflict aimed at contributing a parliamentary perspective to conflict resolution processes.

"There are some signals that the negotiation process may move forward later this year,” said President Efthymiou. “I look forward to taking what we learn from this visit into our discussion of the situation in Moldova at our Annual Session in Belgrade.”

“While there are many contacts in the area of economy and security, there is a need to expand contacts in the political field," Mr. Efthymiou said. "I fully support the work of our Parliamentary Team to help build contacts between the parliament of Moldova and the Transnistrian Supreme Soviet. In this context, I welcome the willingness of all those I spoke to here in Moldova to participate in the meeting in Stockholm.”

In his meetings in Chisinau and Tiraspol, President Efthymiou emphasized the need for a speedy resumption of the formal 5+2 negotiations. He reiterated that the OSCE, with its institutional experience and strong field advantage, will continue to play a crucial role in Moldova. President Efthymiou also welcomed the release yesterday of Ernest Vardanyan, noting that such moves help to build confidence between the sides.

“Having closely followed the election processes here in Moldova in recent years, I am also acutely aware of the challenges currently facing Moldovan politics. I strongly believe that Moldova's future lies in Europe. Leadership is required by all political forces if Moldova is to achieve its European goals,” said Efthymiou.

President Efthymiou met in Chisinau with Speaker of Parliament and Acting President Marian Lupu, Deputy Prime Minister Eugen Carpov, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iurie Leanca, First Deputy Speaker Vlad Plahotniuc, Chair of the Communist Party Vladimir Voronin, and civil society representatives. In Tiraspol, he met with Transnistrian Leader Igor Smirnov, Supreme Soviet Speaker Anatol Kaminski, and Chief Negotiator Vladimir Yastrebchak. President Efthymiou was fully briefed by the OSCE Mission to Moldova.