An explosion in the Republic of Moldova similar to that in the Port of Beirut would be a real catastrophe for the whole region. Therefore, Russia supports the idea of disposing of the munitions stored in Cobasna, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicu Popescu. According to the official, the dialogue with Moscow is constant and ensures progress in some of the areas. For example, the Moldovan-Russian intergovernmental commission will come together next year and will consider the possibility of resuming the export of Moldovan products to Russia, IPN reports.
Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu said Chisinau insists, both in Moscow and in other capitals, that the process of disposing of the armament stored in Cobasna, which is the largest ammunition store in Eastern Europe, should be started. The presence of munitions on the left side of the Nistru is a threat to the security of the whole region.
“The Russian Federation expressed its readiness to make headway in the ridding of the armament stored in Cobasna. On this issue, the Russian Federation said they are interested in making progress as no one warn an explosion in the Republic of Moldova similar to the one that occurred in the Port of Beirut a year and a half ago. This would cost us human lives and would be a real catastrophe. We have a dialogue with the Russian Federation by which we hope to agree on the disposal of the munitions,” Nicu Popescu stated in the talk show “Diplomatic Dimension” on the public TV channel.
According to the official, the social protection of the Moldovans who settled in Russia and the possibility of extending the Russian market, primarily for Moldovan agricultural products, is one of the key subjects on the agenda of discussions with Russian officials.
“The intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation will be convened in March and we will discuss the possibility of unblocking trade and the export of our products to the Russian Federation. A number of issues will be discussed by the commission. There are thousands of Moldovans who live and work in Russia. They have interests. There are thousands of citizens who work in the agricultural sector and their wellbeing depends on our capacity to expand exports to the Russian market. We must think about the interests of these citizens,” stated Nicu Popescu.
In November, Nicu Popescu had a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. During discussions, Chisinau insisted on a mutually advantageous pragmatic partnership between the two states. Also, Nicu Popescu said the presence of the Russian troops on Moldova’s territory runs counter to the neutrality status of the country and asked Moscow to unconditionally withdraw these troops.
