Russia Asks Moldovan Authorities to Terminate Opposition's Protests Near Its Embassy in Chisinau

The Russian Foreign Ministry has asked the Moldovan authorities to take measures that will terminate what it described as "anti-Russian hysteria" near the Russian Embassy in Chisinau.

The Foreign Ministry released on Tuesday a statement in response to protests organised by the Christian Democratic parliamentary opposition in front of the Russian Embassy to Moldova, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Russian military presence from Transnistria. The ministry expressed optimism that the Moldovan authorities "is capable of terminating anti-Russian hysteria in Moldova and will ban illegal actions organised by aggressive radical nationalist politicians from now on."

According to the statement, leaders of the Christian Democratic Popular Party (PPCD) "again take actions to put fat in the fire of xenophobia and ethnic hatred in Moldova, hiding behind invented pretexts concerning a deliberate failure of Moscow to fulfill international commitments."

"In addition, marching near and picketing the Russian diplomatic mission with flags of Romania, the European Union and NATO, PPCD lawmakers and their few supporters shout outrageous slogans and expressions," reads the statement.

It also notes that "the Russian side has officially called on Moldova more than once to respect unconditionally a 1961 Vienna convention on diplomatic relations and to ensure adequate conditions for the normal activity of the embassy... but Chisinau has not met these requests yet."

There were no immediate comments from the Moldovan authorities to the Russian ministry's statement.

PPCD members and supporters accompanied by a group of journalists from several papers in Chisinau have picketed the Russian Embassy to Moldova for at least one month, demanding the unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops and arsenal from Transnistria by the end of this year, in line with commitments assumed by Moscow at the OSCE summit in Istanbul and interministerial meeting in Porto. The Christian Democratic opposition organised a meeting in late October, calling on the OSCE-member states to determine Russia to respect its commitments in the due time. The meeting was followed by a march to the Russian Embassy, which was unauthorised by the Chisinau City Hall, with participation of about 2,000 persons, according to police estimates. The organisers of the picket in front of Russia's Embassy in Chisinau say they will continue the protests as long as Moscow fails to withdraw its entire military presence from Moldova's territory.