Finland is ready to share its experience in responding to hybrid actions with the Republic of Moldova. In the context of this year's parliamentary elections, hybrid and latent Russian actions are to be expected. This is according to Finland's Foreign Affairs Minister Elina Valtonen, who points out that free and fair elections are a fundamental right, IPN reports.
Elina Valtonen, who is on an official visit to the Republic of Moldova in her capacity as OSCE Chairman-in-Office, said that Moldova is an important country, not only for Finland, but for the OSCE as a whole. "We are here to support you in this current critical energy situation", Valtonen noted.
The Finnish minister said that Gazprom's decision to stop gas supplies to Moldova undermines the country's economic and political stability and weakens security in the entire region. According to the official, the lack of gas and consequently of electricity shows how much "care" Russia has for its people.
In another development, Elina Valtonen congratulated the people of Moldova on the results of last year's elections. "Moldova voted in favor of the future in the European Union and you can count on Finland to support the European path. It is a step that will benefit all people and will also facilitate business relations. We have a lot of potential now and in the future, which we will be able to use, including in our relations between our countries", the Finnish minister added.
Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the Moldovan-Finnish bilateral relations are very good, constructive and are developing at an upward pace.
"In the context of the start of the EU accession negotiations, we are sure that we will have close bilateral and multilateral cooperation, with a focus on strengthening the bilateral legal framework, intensifying economic relations and increasing the trade volume between our countries - things we have ensured during the talks", Mihai Popsoi added.
