World Bulletin / News Desk

Talks to resolve the dispute between Moldova and the breakaway region of Transnistria have been cancelled.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe announced on Thursday that a second round of talks to find a resolution to political, economic and humanitarian problems will not go ahead as planned on September 11 and 12.

Special representative Radojko Bogojevic said in a statement the talks had been cancelled for the third time since February.

Transnistria is not internationally recognized but has been effectively independent since a war in 1992. The population is predominantly Russian-speaking with many people holding Russian passports.

Both parties agreed to resume talks last year. The process has been ongoing since 1993 and this year’s first round of talks was held in Vienna in February.

Moldova, Transnistria, Russia, Ukraine, the U.S. and the EU were to have taken part in negotiations.