FM: Romania to solve problems with Moldova through dialogue

BUCHAREST

Romania will solve its bilateral problems with the Republic of Moldova through bilateral dialogue, said Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu on Tuesday.

“We will solve our problems by ourselves, in our manner and with our means,” Diaconescu told a press conference, adding that the country will not transfer the issues over to the institutions Romania is part of. 

“The entire situation is very well known and the positive orientation, such as the Eastern Partnership and the continuation of the dialogue, is not only necessary but also encouraged by our European and Euro-Atlantic partners,” he explained.

Diaconescu did not say when the new Romanian ambassador to Chisinau would be appointed and explained he would first wait for the election of Moldova’s president by Parliament, as the incumbent President Vladimir Voronin’s mandate ends this month.

“We will see which is the political dialogue our neighbors want to have with us. We are waiting for a new government to be formed and for a new president to be nominated and, based on dialogue, we will establish the diplomatic perspectives and representation,” Diaconescu explained.

Violence broke out in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on April 7,one day after the Central Election Commission announced the ruling Communist Party won a landslide victory in the April 5 parliamentary elections. The opposition claimed the vote was rigged and protesters stormed the parliament and the presidential building.

The Romanian ambassador to Moldova and another official have been declared “persona non grata” soon after the riot, with Moldovan President Voronin saying that Romania was involved in election protests in Chisinau that led to disorder and vandalism.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said later that the accusations of Moldovan authorities are unacceptable.