Romania backs Moldova’s European option despite someone’s reasons to distort its real intentions

The Ambassador of Moldova in Bucharest was summoned to the Foreign Ministry of Romania on December 5, in connection with the recent developments in the bilateral relations between Romania and Moldova. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry’s web page www.mae.ro, the Romanian side was puzzled at the summoning of the Romanian ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) in Chisinau on December4. The reason was an interview given by the chairman of the Romanian Theatre Union of (UNITER), Ion Caramitru, to “Jurnal de Chisinau” newspaper. Bucharest deems the approach of MFAEI as unusual from democratic point of view, and “inadequate for the situation”, taking into account that UNITER chairman is a private person and can freely express his personal opinions. Romania’s Foreign Ministry asserts that the viewpoints expressed by UNITER head can not be qualified as the official stance of Romania. In addition, the Romanian side stressed that the freedom of expression is a fundamental condition in a law-based state. The Romanian side sought explanations during the meeting for the tone of the recent statements made by Chisinau authorities, and for the criticisms levelled at Romania’s interests in backing the consolidation of the European option of Moldova. Romania voiced its further availability to support all Chisinau’s approaches aiming at accessing to Europe. “The Romanian side understands the reasons for which those interested in stopping Moldova’s European course try to distort Romania’s real intentions. Moreover, Romania’s efforts are made to carry conviction that Moldova will become in the near future a state with a consolidated democracy, a law-based state that respects the fundamental human rights and freedoms, fulfilling a recognized european destiny”, the statement of the Foreign Ministry of Bucharest says. In the interview entitled “The most orthodox communists became the most fanatical capitalists” given to “Jurnal de Chisinau” publication, actor and director Ion Caramitru, head of UNITER, mentioned in the context of Romania’s accession to the European Union that the rigors and EU legislation “will oblige to maintain the moral purity, in order to counter corruption and political blackmail. Little by little we will reach what we called the Great Romania of the 30’s, when it was considered Switzerland of Balkans, while Bucharest was called as “the small Paris”. Requested to express his attitude towards the population between Prut and Dniester rivers, the artist stressed that in the last 2-3 years, since the power has changed, he is not invited in Chisinau anymore as in the past. “We come again to Moldovan language, to old vices. It is symptomatic that the communist party won the elections in none of the ex-soviet countries, except for Moldova. We trust that this is the “last yell of the bear that is on its way to disappear”, Caramitru stated. As a result, MFAEI has summoned Ambassador Filip Teodorescu to warn him about the “inadmissibility of Bucharest’s interference in Moldova’s home affairs”. The diplomatic scandal between Chisinau and Bucharest broke out immediately after Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin had accused Bucharest of interference in Moldova’s home affairs and stressed that it “may achieve its objective to access to European Union without friends and lawyers from Romania”.