Vladimir Voronin reiterates possibility of cancelling registration of Bessarabian Metropolitan Church

If the disagreements over the Orthodox Church go on, we will consider the possibility of not implementing the European Court of Human Rights’ decision regarding the registration of the Bessarabian Metropolitan Church, President Vladimir Voronin told a news conference on December 19, cited by Info-Prim Neo. Voronin said that what happens around the Orthodox Church is also aggression on Moldova on the part of Romania and forms part of a range of similar acts. “We have the same faith, but there is one difference – the Constitution says the church in Moldova is separate from the state, while in Romania it is the opposite,” the head of state said. Vladimir Voronin made similar statements earlier. During a televised programme on November 30, the head of state threatened to order the cancellation of the registration of the Metropolitan Bessarabian Church, going against the ECHR decision that obliged the Government of Moldova to register it several years ago. He referred to the latest disputes between the Romanian Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Moscow over the revival of three Romanian dioceses in Moldova: Diocese of Balti, Diocese of Cantemir and Diocese of Dubasari. The civil society and the political parties criticised these statements, saying that they bring harm to Moldova’s image and diminish Moldova’s chances of joining the European Union. As from procedural viewpoint an ECHR decision cannot be ignored, the president’s statements can be regarded as open defiance of the European Convention of Human Rights, a number of analysts said commenting on Voronin’s declarations. In an interview for Info-Prim Neo, the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in Moldova Vladimir Ristovski said that the commitments and obligations of the member states to the Council of Europe have a permanent character. The ECHR decisions are definitive and mandatory. After ratifying the European Convention on Human Rights, the signatory states commit themselves to obeying the final decisions of the Court in Strasbourg.