The spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, accuses Romania of wanting to take over Moldova following Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu’s visit to Chișinău, towards which she made ironic remarks.
The Romanian Consulate in Rostov-on-Don received a notification that it must close starting from October 14, as announced by Zakharova. The decision to close it was made by Moscow at the end of last year.
"In parallel, visits to Moldova continue by Western politicians and officials who openly advocate for the 'European option'.
On October 4th of this year, in Chișinău, Romanian Prime Minister M. Ciolacu urged the Moldovan leadership to work more actively so that citizens 'clearly understand that Moldova's future lies in the EU'.
But why was he timid? He should have said: not in the EU, but in Romania. That is what they want" - said Maria Zakharova.
She quoted Ciolacu as allegedly saying that Russia "will lead the country into isolation and poverty" and commented ironically: "We see how 'prosperous' the European Union is."
She then continued: "The absurdity of such statements is that, as history shows, the Romanian occupation from 1918-1940 brought poverty, ruin, depopulation, and mass attacks to Bessarabia. On the contrary, belonging to the Russian Empire and the USSR was marked by the prosperity of Moldova. All of this is proven by facts, figures, and real data," stated the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson.
"It is evident that the tactics of promoting a non-existent 'Russian threat,' including unfounded accusations regarding our country's attempts to organize a coup in Moldova, do not work.
Moldovans do not believe.
The country's inhabitants see the failed anti-popular policies of the authorities and the disastrous reality hidden behind slogans and catchphrases about the so-called 'European course' of the current regime in Chișinău. In reality, they are pushed into colonial dependence, to abandon themselves, not to mention their own history. People see and draw conclusions," concluded Maria Zakharova in her commentary on the situation in the Republic of Moldova.
Government's Reaction
In response to these statements, the Government in Bucharest emphasizes that Romania remains firmly committed to supporting Moldova's European path and Russia's aggressive propaganda will not change this.
"Romania remains a strong supporter of Moldova and its European future and will continue to support the citizens and authorities of Chișinău in achieving their goals in this regard. Russia's aggressive propaganda, which distorts historical facts and ignores current realities, must be countered by all means, so that the objective of Moldova's integration into the European Union is achieved," the Executive stated in a press release.
"Russian authorities desperately try to change Moldova's European path through spreading false news. I encourage all leaders in Chișinău not to be intimidated by such actions. Romania stands shoulder to shoulder with the Republic of Moldova in fulfilling the European dream," declared Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
Moldova's desire to become a member of the EU represents the choice of stability, prosperity, and a community of values and principles, things that Russia continues to blatantly violate, attacking its neighbors with conventional and hybrid means that flagrantly violate international law, adds the Romanian Government.
"Alongside the other EU member states, Romania will continue to support the Republic of Moldova in strengthening democratic institutions and the capacity to counter aggressive hybrid attacks from the Russian Federation," the Executive specifies.
Moscow Closes Romania's Consulate in Rostov-on-Don
In her Wednesday press briefing, Maria Zakharova also announced that Bucharest was notified that it must close the Consulate in Rostov-on-Don starting from October 14.
"The Romanian side received an official notification that the General Consulate of Romania in Rostov-on-Don ceases its activity starting from the aforementioned date. The functions of providing consular services in that jurisdiction are transferred to the embassy of this country in Moscow," explained Maria Zakharova.
"This move is driven by the Russian side's decision to denounce the bilateral intergovernmental agreement regarding the opening of the aforementioned consular office, adopted in December 2023 in response to the unfriendly actions of the Romanian authorities," the spokesperson clarified.
In addition to the embassy and the consulate in Rostov-on-Don, Romania also has a consulate in St. Petersburg.