Unaffiliated MP Octavian Țîcu said the provision of the Russian loan of €200 million for satisfying Moldova’s budgetary needs is a new form of strengthening Russia’s influence in Moldova. According to him, by negotiating and accepting the conditions stipulated in the agreement, the PSRM-PDM government betrayed the national interests that include the maintaining of the European integration course and coming closer to Romania, IPN reports.
The MP said the signing of this agreement compromises the efforts made by the previous governments to keep Moldova anchored in the Association Agreement with the EU, which was signed and ratified by representatives of the Democratic Party in 2014.
“The loan strengthens the benchmarks for the Transnistrization of the Republic of Moldova and represents a form of expression of the hybrid war waged by the Russian Federation on us. Why? First of all because the first tranche of €100 million will be transferred within 30 days of the coming into force of the agreement. The second tranche of €100 million will be provided not later than October 31, 2020, which is at the peak of the presidential campaign so as to advantage Igor Dodon, the man of Moscow,” stated Octavian Țîcu, who heads the National Unity Party.
According to him, this agreement represents direct intrusion in Moldova’s internal affairs, a political loan, interference in the political and electoral processes of the Republic of Moldova, as it was ascertained in other states of Europe and the whole world. If Moldova experiences a major crisis after the pandemic, the undertaking of the obligations stated in the lending agreement is unacceptable as the probability of the impossibility of making the first payment on the loan on March 15, 2021 is very high and the stipulated penalties will generate a huge debt to the Russian Federation, besides the debt existing due to the Transnistrian region.
Octavian Țîcu noted that the provision concerning the obligation to clear the debts stemming from the previous agreements with Russia, which he considers unjustified and abusive, arouses special concern. The interest rate of 2% makes this loan the most expensive loan raised by Moldova.
The bill to ratify the lending agreement between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Government of the Russian Federation concerning the provision of a state financial loan was approved by the Cabinet on April 21. According to the authorities, the agreement does not stipulate commission for the disbursement or non-disbursement of the loan, but allows for the repayment of the loan in advance at any opportune moment.
