Swedish Foreign Minister To Visit Transnistria In February As OSCE Chairperson-in-Office

TIRASPOL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2021) Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde is set to visit the self-proclaimed Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR, or Transnistria) in February in her capacity as OSCE chairperson-in-office, Tiraspol's diplomatic service said Thursday.

The visit was announced by Thomas Mayr-Harting, the special representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, during a meeting with PMR's top diplomat Vitaly Ignatiev.

"During the communication, Thomas Mayr-Harting informed the Head of the PMR's MFA on planned events in the framework of the negotiation process and, as well about the visit of Anna Linde (the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden) and of mediators and observes delegation that is slated for mid-February," a statement from the ministry read.

The ministry added that a separate discussion will be held on the prospects for holding the meeting in the "5+2" format. The format includes Russia, Ukraine, the US, EU, OSCE as observers to the talks between Chisinau and Tiraspol.

Transnistria, which is mostly populated by ethnic Russians and Ukrainians, seceded from Moldova in 1990, fearing the latter's possible reunion with Romania. The split led to an armed conflict that ended in a 1992 ceasefire. De facto, Transnistria has become a territory out of Chisinau's control.