ODES, SEPTEMBER 8th, 2011, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE — A conference devoted to the consideration of confidence-building activities regarding the Dniester conflict, in which EUBAM is participating, got underway this morning in Bad Reichenhall, Germany, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

The agency has been informed today, 8 September, at the press service of EUBAM.

According to the press service, the conference, ‘Wider Confidence Building in the Transnistrian Conflict Settlement Process’, is the initiative of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the German Federal Foreign Office. Against the backdrop of a stalled political process, the conference aims to explore opportunities for promoting existing confidence building initiatives and to consider new areas in which co-operation between the Chisinau and Tiraspol sides can be developed to the mutual benefit of the populations on both banks of the Dniester river.

Officials from the OSCE, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, the Transnistrian region, and the EU Delegation to Moldova will be among those to offer their perspectives on priority issues. For its part, EUBAM will be also presenting its technical ideas for confidence-building opportunities in the economic development in this region, which have already been elaborated in a concept paper the Mission drafted in recent months.

EUBAM plays a technical and adviser role in the settlement process, and has the benefit of having a presence on the ground on both sides of the Moldova-Ukraine border, and of having established working relationships with the border-related services of Moldova and Ukraine. This makes the Mission well placed to also facilitate confidence-building initiatives.

EUBAM has played a facilitation role in the resumption of the Chisinau-Odesa passenger railway route (which transits both banks of the Dniester River) at the end of 2010. Besides, the Mission provides for proper oversight of foreign trade activities by the Transnistrian economic operators, which is necessary for the granting of trade preferences to these operators. The cooperation between the Mission and its partner ensured greater equality between Transnistrian economic operators and those located in the right bank of the Dniester river in obtaining access to trade preferences, and facilitated legitimate trade.

As reported before, in early August, EUBAM conducted experts meetings with Chisinau and Tiraspol representatives to discuss, among other things, the prospect of the resumption of rail freight traffic through the Transnistrian region.

The Conference will finish on Friday.

INFORMATION: The EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) was launched on 30 November 2005 at the joint request of the Presidents of the Republic Moldova and Ukraine. EUBAM is an EU mission fully funded by the European Union. It is an advisory, technical body. It has no executive powers. The Mission aims to make a sustainable contribution to the delivery of good quality border and customs services to the citizens and companies of Moldova and Ukraine to facilitate contacts and trade.