Eurasia Press & News
Romania dismissed on Wednesday claims by Moldova’s president that it had interfered in his country’s internal affairs, and threatened to expel the Moldavian ambassador.
Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin earlier on Wednesday accused Romania of involvement in the riots in Chisinau over the election results, announcing visa restrictions for Romanians and the expulsion of Bucharest’s ambassador.
“This accusation is a provocation. It is unacceptable that the communist regime in Chisinau is attempting to shift responsibility for internal conflicts on to Romania,” the Romanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Protests in Moldova’s capital against the ruling Communist Party’s victory in Sunday’s elections turned violent on Tuesday with 5,000 rioters taking control of the presidential residence and nearby parliament building. Some protesters called for the unification of Moldova with Romania.
Moldova was part of Romania after World War I before being annexed by the Soviet Union in World War II. It declared independence on August 27, 1991, after the failed coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
The European Union and United Nations have condemned the violence, in which Voronin said at least 270 people, including 170 police officers, were injured.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed on Wednesday the Moldovan opposition’s calls for fresh parliamentary elections, noting that international monitors had called Sunday’s polls fair.
“We are deeply concerned by what happened in Moldova yesterday, I hope the situation will be taken under control,” Lavrov said in Moscow. “Demands for fresh elections and the revision of the vote results are absolutely groundless as all international monitors agreed that the election complied with democratic and legal norms.”
