The position of the Republic of Moldova has been that the Russian troops should be withdrawn from the Transnistrian region. The munitions that the Russian side says are being guarded by these troops should be pulled out too, IPN quoted President-elect Maia Sandu as saying in a news conference.

According to Maia Sandu, there are two sides when it goes to the Russian military presence on Moldova’s territory – the Operational Group of Russian Forces to whose presence Moldova never gave its consent and there is no relevant bilateral agreement, and the peacekeeping mission that is regulated by a Moldovan-Russian agreement of 1992. As there has been no danger of military action for a period, the Republic of Moldova has maintained that this mission should be turned into a civil one under the aegis of the OSCE. Maia Sandu supports this position.

“We saw that the Russian Federation has another position. We will continue to discuss so as to find solutions. For us, the objective is for these Russian troops to be withdrawn from the territory of the Republic of Moldova as we are an independent country that wants everybody to respect its integrity and sovereignty,” stated the President-elect, noting she is ready to consider solutions with the Russian Federation.

Asked to comment on the statements of her party mate, PAS MP Igor Grosu, who in the parliamentary elections called the Transnistrians “separatists”, Maia Sandu said that as far as she knows, he referred to the regime in Tiraspol, not to the people. “We respect the people either they are on the left side or on the right side of the Nistru,” she stated, noting she wants the life of all the citizens of Moldova to be improved.