Prime Minister Pavel Filip had a meeting with Wolf Dietrich Heim, special representative of the OSCE Austrian Presidency in the process of settling the Transnistrian issue, and with Michael Scanlan, the head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova.

The officials exchanged views on the latest developments in the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict and noted progress in this direction. In particular, they appreciated the opening, on November 18, of the bridge between Gura Bîcului and Bîcioc, located on the two banks of the Dniester.

"It is a symbolic event in the November 3 agreement. It seemed good to see all the participants in the 5 + 2 negotiations at this ceremony," said the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

"It is important to move forward on a multilateral basis in the Transnistrian settlement: to identify both technical and political solutions," emphasized Pavel Filip.

The prime minister noted that the main problems on the agenda include: ensuring the good functioning of the Moldovan schools in the Transnistrian region with teaching on the basis of the Latin script, the recognition of higher education diplomas in Tiraspol, the restoration of the telephone connection between the two banks of the Dniester, the registration of the regional cars to international road traffic, free access of farmers from Dubasari district to their agricultural land following the Tiraspol-Ribnita route based on the mechanism adopted in 2006.

In the near future, a vision will be presented on the special state for Transnistria in the reintegrated Republic of Moldova. The document is now in the consulting process with civil society.

At the same time, the prime minister referred to the positive effects of joint control with Ukraine at the Kuciurgan-Pervomaisc border crossing point. Pavel Filip mentioned that it will be extended to other common border crossing points of the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, including the central segment.

"Through joint efforts we can make essential progress. It is important not to lose the momentum," concluded Pavel Filip.