Overview
The Head of Mission, as the OSCE mediator, uses shuttle diplomacy to mediate between Chisinau and Tiraspol: s/he facilitates negotiations between the two Chief Negotiators in the 1+1 format and in 13 thematic Working Groups. In addition to this, the OSCE liaises with the Sides and with the international partners in the 5+2 format on various aspects of the Transdniestrian settlement process. The 5+2 format includes the Republic of Moldova and Transdniestria as the Sides, the OSCE, Russian Federation, and Ukraine as the Mediators, and the European Union and the United States as the Observers.
The 1+1 and Working Group platforms focus on resolving practical issues with a direct impact on the daily lives of people on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River, including areas such as freedom of movement, telecommunications, environmental protection, education and healthcare. By organizing and supporting these meetings, the Mission helps maintain consistent channels of communication, prevents escalation and promotes confidence-building measures that serve as the foundation for progress within the broader 5+2 negotiation process.
Since 1994, the Mission has participated in the meetings of the Joint Control Commission (JCC). In keeping with the 2004 Agreement on the Principles of Co-operation between the Mission and the JCC, the Mission gathers and provides information on the situation in the Security Zone. In this respect, it regularly shares its findings with all the delegations to the JCC and the 57 OSCE participating States.
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Statement of the OSCE Mission to Moldova following the meeting of Political Representatives on 24 September 2026
Today, the OSCE Mission to Moldova’s office in Tiraspol hosted a meeting of Representatives for Political Issues in the Transdniestrian settlement process. During the meeting, the Political Representatives, in the presence of mediators and observers, have discussed a wide range of topical issues and agreed to intensify dialogue, including at the level of expert (working) groups, to resolve these for the benefit of the people living on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River. In particular:
Press release
OSCE Chairman-in-Office Cassis and Secretary General Sinirlioğlu visit Moldova and reaffirm OSCE’s commitment to security and stability in the region
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OSCE Mission to Moldova’s office in Chisinau hosts Economy Working Group, the first in-person working group meeting since 2022
Economy Working Group holds first in-person meeting since 2022 at OSCE Mission office in Chisinau
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OSCE facilitates first in-person 1+1 meeting between Chief Negotiators since 2024, reaffirms commitment to continued dialogue
Today, the OSCE Mission to Moldova facilitated in its office in Tiraspol the first in-person 1+1 meeting in over a year between the Moldovan and Transdniestrian Chief Negotiators, Valeriu Chiveri and Vitaly Ignatiev. The meeting marked a significant and timely step in ensuring direct dialogue at the level of Chief Negotiators. The previous in-person meeting in this format took place in November 2024. The resumption of face-to-face discussions underscores the importance of sustained, direct engagement in advancing the settlement process.
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