Russia criticizes Basescu over 'occupation' statement

Moscow views Romanian President Traian Basescu’s statement of the alleged ‘occupation’ of Moldova as an unfriendly innuendo and propaganda, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko was quoted by the news agency Itar-Tass as saying. “If he implied the Russian task force performing a peacekeeping mission in {Transdniestria}, the force was deployed in keeping with the agreement on principles of peace settlement in the {Transdniestrian} region of Moldova, which was signed on July 21, 1992,” Nesterenko said. “The peacekeepers are ensuring regional stability, which is necessary for the resolution of the problem. The key to this settlement is further negotiations in the 5+2 format that was established for a political search for a compromise on the future status of {Transdniestria} and related guarantees.” “One may endlessly speculate on ‘the Russian occupation’ for the sake of propaganda and even aspire for the role of a defender of Moldovan sovereignty and territorial integrity. One may also use this pretext for giving vent to irritation over the Romanian spy, who flopped the collection of classified (information) in Moscow several days ago,” Nesterenko said. President Traian Basescu said on Thursday, after the meeting with Moldovan Premier Vlad Filat, that Romania was interested in the Republic of Moldova getting back its territorial integrity. When asked if Romania was interested in Transnistria, Traian Basescu answered that “Romania is interested in the Republic of Moldova getting back its territorial integrity and our interest is connected to the things we believe in. We think that a state cannot be deprived of part of its territory through occupation,” said Basescu.