Moldova blames Russia for conducting hostile policy towards Chisinau

Chisinau believes that Moscow is pursuing a hostile policy towards Moldova.

Moldova’s Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Nicu Popescu made the remarks while commenting on the ban on entry to Russia for a number of Moldovan officials, Gazeta.Ru reports.

"For many years, Russia has resorted to a hostile policy towards Moldova. It supported separatism, imposed an embargo, and there are troops of the Russian army on the territory of our republic. The Russian Federation continues to be at enmity with Moldova," Popescu said.

Earlier, the first secretary of the Moldovan embassy in Moscow, Valeriu Manya, was declared persona non grata in Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry also expressed protest to Moldovan Ambassador Lilian Darius due to Chisinau’s "unfriendly steps". It was reported that a number of officials of the countries were banned from entering the country because of their "anti-Russian statements".

Earlier, Moldovan Foreign Ministry Spokesman Filip Cojocaru said that Moldova had declared a Russian embassy employee persona non grata after the incident with the head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.

On April 17, Tatarstan leader Rustam Minnikhanov said that the Moldovan authorities declared him an undesirable person and did not let him into the country.