Moldovan FM criticizes Sergey Lavrov’s statements, which he calls “offensive”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, qualified as “insinuations and a wrong interpretation of the facts” the statements of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, who stated in an interview that Maia Sandu would be “ready for anything for the sake of the West, including for the union with Romania”, and this could bring the Republic of Moldova into the situation of Ukraine.

According to the minister and deputy prime minister Nicu Popescu, the authorities of the Republic of Moldova categorically reject such a tone in the relations between the two states and remind the Russian official that the Moldovan citizens want peace, prosperity and the accession of the republic to the European Union.

Deputy PM and FM Nicu Popescu emphasized that the rhetoric of his Russian counterpart does not correspond to reality, because President Maia Sandu has the mandate of the citizens to integrate the Republic of Moldova into the European Union.

“We categorically reject such insinuations, we reject such a tone in the interstate relations between the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation. At the same time, it is absolutely clear what the population of the Republic of Moldova wants, the citizens want a democratic, prosperous, European country, where corruption is eliminated, a country that joins the European Union. President Maia Sandu has this mandate explicitly offered by the citizens. Our citizens want the continuation of the European path, they want to live in a democratic, functional, non-corrupt system and they want to maintain peace on the territory of our country. And these values, democracy, peace, unite all the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, including those who did not vote for the president Maia Sandu”, Nicu Popescu told TVR Moldova.

Nicu Popescu also reminded that Sergei Lavrov’s statements are not the first unfriendly statements of Russian officials towards the Republic of Moldova, but that, despite Russian propaganda, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova firmly choose the European path, which ensures peace and prosperity for the country.

“It is an offensive statement for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova in the first place. The evolution of our country is absolutely clearly focused on joining the European Union. We see what the Russian Federation is doing internationally, we condemn this aggressive, unprovoked war against Ukraine. All messages justifying this aggression have no value,” the Moldovan leader added.