Books, paintings, statuettes, icons, crosses and picture frames were offered to Igor Dodon while serving as President last year, at official or working meetings and when taking part in ceremonies held on the occasion of anniversaries. The presents are kept in the Presidential Library.
In a response to an inquiry made by IPN, the presidential administration said each present given to the President out of politeness or on the occasion of protocol events was put on the books and was evaluated by a commission constituted by order of the secretary general of the Presidential Staff.
The estimated value of the presents registered in 2020 is of 100 to 500 lei. The gifts included in the Register of Admissible Presents and transferred under the management of the presidential administrator are kept in the Presidential Library, while the rest are given back to the beneficiary (in this case Igor Dodon, e.n.). Over 100 presents were returned between 2017 and 2020.
Among the presents received by Igor Dodon in 2017 were the map of Greater Moldova of 1790 after the Russian-Turkish war in a wooden frame, a clay sculpture in the form of a book on which a prayer is engraved, a copy of Moldova’s flag, a wooden mace and the photo of Igor Dodon together with Vladimir Putin in a wooden frame. The President was also offered bottles of wine, books, icons, billiards cues, balls and even sunglasses.
Among the presents received in 2018 were a chessboard, souvenirs, diplomas, books and an icon. In 2019, the President was offered souvenirs, paintings, books, frames and six lambs that were taken to the farm.
