Moldova will not join the Western sanctions against Russia.
This was stated by Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) Nicu Popescu while he was speaking on TV8. According to him, the decision not to join Western sanctions against Russia was adopted by the Moldovan authorities back in 2014, after the annexation of Crimea. “Decisions to impose sanctions against the Russian Federation are not easy decisions. These solutions are also difficult for much more powerful, much more prosperous states that have more alternatives for the functioning of the economy than Moldova,” Nicu Popescu said. The head of the MFAEI specified that the position of our country was formulated immediately after the start of the war in Ukraine, during the meeting of the State Secretary of the MFAEI with the Russian ambassador. According to him, Moldova expressed its position on the illegal annexation of Crimea, but a decision was made not to join the European or American sanctions imposed against Russia, and the government will maintain this line. "There are many reasons, including the fact that our society, our economy, our energy system are too vulnerable to burden Moldova with such expensive positions," Nicu Popescu said. He acknowledged that there are disagreements about Moldova's attitude to Russia's actions, but the position on sanctions remains unchanged. "We, as a state, maintain our position regarding Russia's actions at the diplomatic and negotiation level," Vice Prime Minister added. The head of Moldovan diplomacy stressed that Chisinau maintains a technical dialogue with Moscow, discussing issues of assistance to Moldovan citizens who cannot return to their homeland due to the situation in Ukraine. // 01.03.2022 – InfoMarket
