Parliament in Chisinau asks for the Russian troops’ withdrawal. President Dodon condemns resolution

The Parliament in Chisinau passed a resolution on Friday requesting Russian troops to withdraw from the Republic of Moldova. 61 deputies have voted the resolution.

The initiative was endorsed by the PDM, PLDM, PL and the European Popular Group factions in the Parliament, in the absence of the communists and with the Socialists boycotting the sitting, Deschide.md reported.

The move comes right during the Romanian PM Tudose’s visit to Chisinau.

On the other hand, 25 years are marked today since the signing of the 1992 agreement on the peaceful settlement of the armed conflict in the separatist Transdniester region in Moldova.

According to the resolution, “the Parliament of the R. of Moldova states that the continuous deployment of the Russian troops and their enforced military presence in the eastern country are breaking the constitutional provisions on the republic’s permanent neutrality and territorial independence, sovereignty and integrity. The Parliament considers that maintaining a considerable volume of ammunition and military equipment on the Moldova’s territory represents a constant threat against the regional and European security and stability.”

At the same time, “the Parliament insists on turning the current peacekeeping mission into a civil mission with international mandate and asks the Russian Federation to resume and finalise the process of withdrawing its troops, weapons, ammunition and military equipment from the R. of Moldova’s territory.”

The Parliament in Chisinau is also addressing all international bodies and countries, “asking them to endorse its initiative to maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity and neutrality of the republic, as well as to contribute to enhancing the efforts to maintain the state sovereignty.”

In retort, the Moldovan Socialist president Igor Dodon, known for his pro-Russian orientation, has condemned the resolution, arguing it’s a challenge that aims at „injuuring relations with the Russian Federation.”

„This challenge is part of a series of actions initiated by the parliamentary majority led by the Democrat Party that aim at tensing the situation in the region and in the relation with Russia, on the eve of the visit that Russian deputy PM Dmitri Rogozin is to pay in Moldova,’ said Dodon in post in Russian posted on Facebook.

The Moldovan president also stated that the MPs resolution „is undermining the successful actions scored together with the Russian authorities,” naming the exports of the Moldovan products in Russia, the regional, educational and humanitarian cooperation with the federation.

Dodon has denounced that there would be foreign forces behind the lawmakers’ resolution, without yet detailing on the topic.