German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday pledged the European Union's support to the Republic of Moldova in its efforts to resolve the conflict in its breakaway province of Transnistria, REPORTED DPA. "We are extremely hopeful that this conflict can be resolved," said Steinmeier, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, at a meeting in Luxembourg with Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin. "It has been unresolved for far too many years and has the potential for escalation that must be avoided at all costs," Steinmeier said. Steinmeier welcomed the "level-headed approach" of the Moldovan government and the bilateral dialogue with Russia. A self-styled Transnistrian Republic has existed on the border between Moldova and Ukraine since 1992, but it is not recognized internationally.
