Chisinau and Tiraspol Negotiators Meet for the First Time in Five Months at OSCE-Hosted Talks

Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Valeriu Chiveri and Tiraspol's chief negotiator Vitali Ignatiev met on September 24 at the OSCE Mission to Moldova's office in Tiraspol, in the bilateral "1+1" format — their first official meeting in over five months and the third formal round of 2026, after sessions on February 26 and April 16. The OSCE Mission said the sides, in the presence of mediators and observers, discussed a range of topical issues affecting residents on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru — including the operation of Vehicle Registration Offices in Tiraspol and Rîbnița, the transfer of Latin-script school premises on Gagarin Street in Rîbnița to the Evrika Lyceum, and facilities for the Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Lyceum in Grigoriopol — and agreed to intensify dialogue, including at the level of expert working groups. Moldova committed to clarifying regulatory acts on vehicle registration, while Transnistria agreed to continue developing mechanisms to transfer the Gagarin Street building, with international partners assisting on guarantees and rehabilitation. The broader "5+2" negotiating platform involving Russia, Ukraine, the OSCE, the EU and the US as observers has remained suspended since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The sides agreed to hold the next Political Representatives meeting before the end of 2026.