Moldovan president-elect Dodon to Iohannis: Romania threatens Moldova’s statehood

Moldovan president-elect Igor Dodon has answered on Facebook to the statements made on Tuesday by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, saying he had sent an open letter to the Romanian head of state this spring and hasn’t received an answer. He expresses hope that “in the relations between presidents it is of bon ton to reply to open letters.” In his letter dated March, Dodon had accused Romania of direct threats to Republic of Moldova’s statehood, digi24.ro reports.

“Mr. President Iohannis has targeted me in one of his recent interventions, mentioning the correct way to proceed between presidents. It is a good thing that he has noted I’ve been elected, and that he approaches the situation more personally and correctly,” Dodon wrote on his Facebook page.

“I assure him that, as president-elect of Republic of Moldova, I have the same concerns as half a year ago regarding the issues mentioned in the letter. So, I sent this message again to President Iohannis,” Dodon wrote.

In the letter dated March 22, 2016, Dodon wrote that Romania was one of the first countries to officially recognize Republic of Moldova’s independence, has contributed to the dynamics of bilateral relations and that the Bucharest government has offered support.

“We are fully aware of our cultural, linguistic, historic affinities between our peoples. However, despite the cultural, economic and diplomatic close relations between our states, despite the confidence I have granted to the Bucharest leadership during the years, we now have all grounds to suspect the Romanian state of open interests to put an end to the sovereignty and independence of Republic of Moldova. In other words, we have grounds to suspect the direct threats against Republic of Moldova’s statehood,” Dodon wrote.

Dodon also mentioned former President Traian Basescu as the “impertinent speaking-tube for unionism and of anti-Moldovan attitude.”

He had called on Klaus Iohannis to take stand against the way action is taken by various Romanian dignitaries and organisations in Republic of Moldova. “An official disengagement from Bucharest in regard to the unionist and revanchist projects would be a step closer to Moldovan citizens, to value the Moldovans’ aspirations to live in their own country, Republic of Moldova,” Dodon wrote.

On Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis said, regarding the call made by Dodon on the unionist speeches, that the Moldovan president-elect should understand “the way things are done between presidents” and that there are “diplomatic usages”.

“For us, whatever it is said, Moldova is very important and we wish to be a helping partner for Moldova,” Iohannis said, adding that “there are diplomatic usages. Although Mr. Dodon is not yet the President of Moldova, he will slowly understand the way things are to be done between presidents.”

In a recent interview for TVR, Moldovan president-elect Igor Dodon said he sees Romanians as brothers and friends, nevertheless Romania should give up unionist ideas and to prove respect to the neighbouring Moldovans by signing the border agreement and by a clear statement from Romanian authorities they do not support and do not fund unionist movements.