Mihai Popsoi: “We will remain open to offer support to citizens on the left bank of the Nistru”
Help cannot be given by force, however, Chisinau remains open to offer all support to citizens on the left bank of the Nistru. This was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mihai Popsoi, in the show “La 360 de grade” on Radio Moldova. Mihai Popsoi said that the authorities in Chisinau are in constant dialogue with Tiraspol to identify solutions, in such a way that citizens do not suffer.
“The explanation is simple, it would probably be related to the relations they have with Moscow, they do not allow them to be more conciliatory and more open. It is difficult for me to find another explanation, as long as Chisinau comes with sincere support, with the openness to offer the necessary aid. This openness will remain, because, unlike the Russian Federation, the Kremlin, we care about our citizens, we want to help them. We have international partners who are open to help, but you know the old saying: “You can take something from a person by force, but you can’t give it by force”. Naturally, help cannot be given by force. We will remain open to offer all the support to our citizens on the left bank of the Nistru. We have a constant dialogue with the so-called authorities on the left bank of the Nistru and we will seek solutions so that our citizens do not suffer, although they have already found themselves in this situation following the Kremlin’s refusal to continue natural gas supplies to the left bank of the Nistru, although they have a contractual obligation to do so. Alternative routes exist through the Balkans”, declared Mihai Popșoi.
During the same program, Mihai Popșoi emphasized that this crisis was triggered by the Russian Federation, which aims to economically destabilize the Republic of Moldova, influence the parliamentary elections and hijack the country's European integration process.
"It is understandable to everyone that this crisis is artificial. The aim is to economically destabilize the Republic of Moldova, so that our citizens on the right bank of the Nistru feel these economic difficulties, after which, in the parliamentary elections, a pro-Russian government will be installed to carry out the Kremlin's agenda here behind Ukraine, in an extremely complicated geopolitical context. However, we are counting on the clear political vision and wisdom of our citizens."
Asked if Gazprom could resume gas deliveries, Mihai Popșoi replied that this would be curious, given the unfounded accusations brought against the Republic of Moldova related to non-existent debts and those regarding the closure of gas transit by Ukraine, while there are viable alternative routes: "It will be curious to see, if it comes to the point that these deliveries are restarted, what will happen to these arguments, which were and are being against us. Although, we must admit that this is not the first time that some officials from Moscow are not necessarily coherent or logical in their public messages and will try to shift the blame onto the Republic of Moldova anyway".
We remind you that Gazprom announced, in a notification sent to the Moldovagaz company, in which it is the majority shareholder, that it is suspending natural gas deliveries, starting with January 1. The Russian concern cited as a reason the Moldovan side's refusal to pay alleged historical debts, of about 700 million dollars, an amount attributed to the right bank, but invalidated by an international audit. However, Gazprom did not condition the deliveries on the payment of debts accumulated by the left bank for over three decades, which amount to 11 billion dollars.
