Russia summons Moldovan envoy over ban on election observers

Lilian Darii, Moldova’s ambassador to Russia, was formally summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on September 24 in response to Chisinau’s refusal to accredit Russian observers for the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for September 28.

According to an official statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, the ambassador was delivered a firm protest over what Moscow described as an “unjustified” denial by Moldovan authorities to grant accreditation to Russian representatives, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

These individuals were intended to serve as short-term observers within the OSCE/ODIHR monitoring mission, alongside members of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation designated as international observers.

“The Moldovan ambassador was presented with a strong protest regarding the unmotivated refusal of the Moldovan authorities to accredit Russian representatives as short-term observers within the OSCE/ODIHR monitoring mission, as well as members of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation as international observers for the parliamentary elections in Moldova on September 28,” the statement read.

In light of this development, the Russian Foreign Ministry has announced plans to escalate the matter to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), condemning Moldova’s decision as “egregious” and undermining the transparency and fairness of the electoral process.

By Vafa Guliyeva