Maria Zaharova's warning in the case of the union of Moldova with Romania. “Gagauzia and Transnistria have other priorities”

The spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maria Zaharova, declared on Wednesday that with the union with Romania, the Republic of Moldova will cease to exist, adding that there is every reason to believe “that the wise Moldovan people will make a clear and sovereign choice if the issue of union with Romania is put into practice.” Regarding Gagauzia and Transnistria, he said that they do not want union with Romania, that “they have other foreign policy priorities” and that they would see Russia as “a protector”, reported NewsMaker.md, taken over by News.ro.

“If Moldova will be included in Romania, it will cease to exist. Because now everyone is considered Romanian. What Moldova will you be able to talk about if it is included in Romania? This word will be removed from documents, books and manuals. (…) There is every reason to believe that the wise Moldovan people will make a clear and sovereign choice if the question of union with Romania is transposed into a practical plan”, declared Maria Zaharova.

Asked if the Russian Federation will be able to “help” Gagauzia and the Transnistrian region, in case the Republic of Moldova reunifies with Romania, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “The population of Gagauzia and Transnistria have other foreign policy priorities. They do not see themselves in Romania or in the European Union. They aspire to maintain as close and mutually beneficial relations with Russia as possible. They see Russia as a protector.”

Intensification of talks on reunification

Since the beginning of the year, discussions about a potential reunification of the Republic of Moldova and Romania have intensified, after the president Maia Sandu declared that she would support the idea in the event of a referendum on this issue. Later, several officials from Chisinau, including the President of the Parliament, Igor Grosu, Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu and the Minister of Culture, Cristian Jardan, declared their support for the union of the two states.

Chisinau emphasizes that the objective of the Republic of Moldova remains EU accession, as this is the direction of foreign policy supported by the majority of citizens, however, in the last month, several officials signaled that the possibility of union could be analyzed as an alternative route for EU accession, if the accession process stagnates. Statements in this sense were made by President Maia Sandu and the Minister of Economy, Eugeniu Osmochescu, who categorized the potential union of the two states as “plan B”.

Currently, the idea of ​​union does not benefit from majority support in the Republic of Moldova, but polls indicate an increase in the number of supporters. An iData survey from May showed that 41% of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova support the union with Romania. In Romania, the level of support is considerably higher: around 72% of Romanian citizens support the union of the two states, notes NewsMaker.md.