Moldovan embassy asks for explanation from Kiev's Foreign Ministry as to plans to introduce visas

The Moldovan embassy to Kiev has officially asked the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry for comments concerning the statements of the Ukrainian Interior Minister about the timeliness to introduce visas for Moldovans, secretary 1 of the embassy, Georgeta Moraru, has told Info-Prim Neo. According to the diplomate, the Kiev Foreign Ministry has said it has no information of this kind. Later last week, international media announced were quoting Interior Minister Yury Lutsenko as stating that the Kiev government must enforce a visa regime for Georgia and Moldova because of the seriousness of the crime situation in the neighboring country. The Interior minister said there operate criminal gangs of Georgians in Ukraine, while the Moldovans use its territory to illegally reach the European Union (EU). According to the diplomat, Moldovan ambassador Nicolae Gumenai had a meeting with the Czech embassy in Kiev on Monday in this respect, notifying it about the Ukrainians' plans. The Czech Rep. now holds the rotating EU presidency. Moldovan speaker Marian Lupu met Ukrainian ambassador to Chisinau Serhii Pyrozhkov, on Monday. A press release by the media section of the Parliament on this meeting does not mention if the two officials had tackled the visas issue.