Residents of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, politicians from Chisinau and personalities from Russia took part in a march for the statehood and neutrality of the Republic of Moldova staged in Comrat. The event, organized by the Gagauz administration, was mounted in reaction to the unionists’ march staged in Chisinau last weekend, IPN reports.

According to the information portal gagauzinfo.md, after the march the crowd gathered together in central Comrat where a meeting was held for the same purpose. The Governor of Gagauzia Irina Vlah said the number of supporters of Moldova’s statehood is several hundred times higher than that of the unionists and the Gagauz people do not have another motherland except Moldova. “99% of the country’s inhabitants want this to be unified,” she stated.

Attending the event, chairman of the Party of Socialists Igor Dodon said that unionists’ plans can be thwarted by such people as those from Gagauzia.

The event also involved the deputy chairman of the Political Party “Our Party” Ilian Casu. This said that those who came together in Comrat support and struggle for Moldova’s statehood.

In a referendum held in Gagauzia in 2014, most of the people voted for separation from Moldova if this loses the independence, possibly by the union with Romania. Earlier this week, the Socialist, Communist, Democratic and former Communist MPs adopted a statement on the statehood and permanent neutrality of the Republic of Moldova, which was proposed by the Communist parliamentary group.