The Government of Moldova has limited possibilities of freeing the three Moldovans who were taken hostage by Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The issue was discussed in the program “Moldova live” on the public TV channel Moldova 1, IPN reports.

Valeriu Plesca, ex-minister of defense, said a special cell was constituted to deal with the release of the Moldovans. “Sincerely, there is not much hope that this cell will obtain something. I think the military men could be set free only as a result of the intervention of the U.S. Government,” he stated.

Another ex-minister of defense Victor Gaiciuc noted that the Republic of Moldova wasn’t the target of the Taliban fighters when the helicopter was downed. “Any aviation accident represents a precedent. The Republic of Moldova wasn’t a target for the Taliban fighting against the Afghani government. The official Chisinau should request the embassies to intervene and help set free the three Moldovans,” he said.

Victor Juc, vice director of the Institute of Legal and Political Research of the Academy of Sciences, considers Moldova does not have leverage to set the hostage free. “This is an unprecedented situation. The Republic of Moldova does not have such leverage. It is now important to establish contact with the embassies abroad,” he stated.

A helicopter belonging to a Moldovan company with 21 persons aboard, three of whom Moldovans and 18 Afghanis, was downed in Afghanistan. The foreign press reported that four of those on board died, while the rest were taken hostage by Taliban fighters.