Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Mr. Grigory Karasin met with the Foreign Minister of Transdniestria Vladimir Yastrebchak. The officials discussed the possibility of restarting the negotiating process to address the status of the breakaway province. The informal meetings took place in Moscow in mid-November. The parties talked about the possible ramifications of the elections in Moldova for the geopolitical stability in the region. Mr. Karasin and Minister Yastrebchak also discussed the prospects for resuming the talks on resolving the Transdniestrian conflict in the 5+2 format, with the involvement of Moldova, Transdniestria, Russia, Ukraine, as well as the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe). The talks would also include observers from the United States and the European Union.