Russian ambassador in Chisinau must be declared persona non grata, Russia’s status at negotiations must be changed – P.L.

The Liberal Party (PL) condemns without equivoque the insults take by Russian Ambassador Nikolay Ryabov against Moldova, the European Union and the United States, as well as the statements that he delivered on March 20 through which Russia expressed its imperial ambitions for Moldova one more time. The PL leadership told a news conference on Wednesday, March 29, that Russia’s status in the process of negotiations on Transnistria shall be changed, while Ryabov shall be declared persona non grata in Moldova. PL leader Mihai Ghimpu said that Russia has permanently meddled in Moldova’s internal affairs, defying its independence, sovereignty and people’s option for freedom. He considers that Moldova has faced and faces a humanitarian catastrophe provoked by Russia, which had occupied the territory between Proute and Dniester more than once, deported hundreds of thousands of families, exterminated the intellectual elite, created the self-proclaimed Transnistrian republic of Moldova, and started the 1992 conflict. „We ascertain that Russia does not raise any objections against the Tiraspol regime despite all illegalities committed in the Transnistrian region, but on e the contrary, it supports and protects it, while Ryabov makes lobby for violation of customs legislation,” Ghimpu added. PL deputy chairman Dorin Chirtoaca said that the Russian Federation’s status at negotiations shall be modified under these conditions – from guarantor into „participant in the conflict”. As regards the March 20 statements of Ryabov, they contravene to diplomatic norms and Moldova shall expel the Russian diplomat from this reason. The PL leaders noted that this would not create bigger problems with Russia than the existing ones. „We have the same rights like the Russian Federation as state, though it is stronger, but we shall not feel inferior,” they added. Nikolay Ryabov criticised the Moldovan authorities at a March 20 news conference in Chisinau. He said that Moldova’s motivation of the new customs regime implemented at the Moldova-Ukrainian border is only a pretext for changing the Tiraspol administration. He demanded Moldova and Ukraine to annul the new border crossing conditions for the Transnistrian commodity flow.