President Igor Dodon on October 11 will meet with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin in Sochi, on the sidelines of the Summit of CIS Heads of State. He also plans to go to Brussels in October or November to discuss the future Moldova-EU relations. The visit is now coordinated with the Office of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Police Federica Mogherini, Vice-President of the European Commission. President Dodon informed about this in an interview for Radio Free Europe, IPN reports.

The President said the working meeting with his Russian counterpart will center on subjects from the bilateral agenda. As to the working visit to Brussels, Igor Dodon said he plans to exchange opinions on the developments in Moldova, including about the mixed member system.

President Dodon also spoke about the Government’s request to discuss the withdrawal of the foreign troops from Moldova’s territory at the UN, saying this is a PR action in the context of the geopolitical struggle between Russia and the United States.

Igor Dodon said he for several times discussed the situation of the Russian troops in Transition and of the peacekeeping mission there with Vladimir Putin. According to him, this problem will be solved when a political solution is identified to the Transnistrian dispute.

President Dodon criticized again the intention to open a NATO office in Chisinau, saying this does not contribute to the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. “On the territory of a neutral state, there should be no Russian army and no NATO office,” he insisted, accusing again the Government and the parliamentary alliance of “blocking” the President’s initiatives and of reducing his powers.