Chisinau hopes for cooperation with new head of Gagauzia

Prime Minister of Moldova Kirill Gaburici hopes for constructive cooperation with the newly elected Head of Gagauz Autonomous Region Irina Vlakh.

“We respect the choice of Moldovan citizens living in the autonomy. I hope that the new leader of Gagauzia will become an active member of the Moldovan government,” Gaburici said.

As EAD reported earlier, Vlakh polled 51.01% of the votes, with her key rival Nikolay Dudoglo polling just 19.05%.

Vlah is also ready to improve Gagauzia’s relations with the pro-European Moldovan authorities but she will respect the will of her voters, who opt for integration with Russia.

In a referendum in Feb 2014, 98% of the Gagauz population voted for integration into the Customs Union (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia), but the Chisinau authorities declared the referendum illegal and laid criminal charges against its organizers.