The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova expressed its bewilderment and indignation at the military exercises staged by the Russian troops that illegally stay on Moldova’ territory, which represents gross defiance of a sovereign state. The two-week drill involves military machinery and is aimed at developing interaction between the military forces of Russia and the Transnistrian military units.

“The open and demonstrative neglecting of the attitudes taken repeatedly by the Moldovan authorities in connection with the illegal Russian military presence on Moldova’s territory is, in essence, a manifestation of full contempt for the international law norms and principles. The statements made by Russian high-ranking officials from the highest international rostrums concerning the firm attachment to the civilized norms, on which the relations between the states must be based, can be perceived only as manifestation of hypocrisy and double standards,” the Ministry says in a press release.

Representatives of the Ministry’s Multilateral Cooperation Division have told IPN that the position stated in the press release represents the official position of the state to the military drill and is considered an approach to the Russian authorities that should take attitude to this case.

The Ministry reiterated the Moldovan authorities’ demand to fully and immediately withdraw the Russian troops and munitions from Moldova’s territory and to open discussions on the transformation of the current peacekeeping mission into a civil multinational one with international mandate.