Moldovan President Blasts Romanian President’s Comments On Riots

"Romanian President Traian Basescu’s address [in parliament] is the best and clearest proof" that Romania is interested in integrating Moldova, Voronin said in a TV address to RIA Novosti.

 

Protests originally led by the opposition turned violent last week, when some 10,000 rioters, mainly students, broke into the presidential residence and parliament building in Chisinau. Several hundred protesters and police were injured in the violence.

 

After the riots on April 7, Moldova expelled the Romanian ambassador and introduced a visa regime for Romania. Basescu said in parliament that Romania would not allow the Prut River to become "a new iron curtain" and called on the EU to investigate the "repression in Moldova."

 

Voronin also said: "This address…leaves no doubt over who exactly is motivating those few Moldovan politicians for whom the fight for liberal values is for some reason the same as fighting against Moldova’s independence."

 

Voronin pointed out the Moldovan authorities had been forced to expel the ambassador as the Romanian embassy in Chisinau had become a place where Moldovan politicians secretly met.

 

He called the introduction of a visa regime "a response to the neighboring state that let itself become openly involved in internal political events in Moldova" and added that the "unwillingness by Bucharest’s officials to sign a basic agreement and border treaty with Moldova is clear proof of their insincerity."

 

The Moldovan president also called for an amnesty and an end to harassment of all protesters in recent riots apart from repeat offenders.

 

"Criminals and habitual offenders who made use of the complicated political situation will remain in detention," Voronin said in the address. "As regards other participants in the April 7 events, I request that the relevant competent bodies hold an overall amnesty and stop all forms of persecution of those participants, involved in street protests."