“Moldova will avoid provocation”: no visa travel with Russia

As a group of Moldovan parliamentarians is drafting a bill to introduce visas for Russian citizens, President of Moldova Igor Dodon calls the idea a provocation by the pro-European government in the country.

The president is sure that the “idea came to the Moldovan government after Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin was banned from entering the republic” to attend the ceremony honoring the Russian peacekeeping troops in Transnistria.

Dodon believes that opponents of the Russian-Moldovan dialogue are behind the idea to introduce visas for the Russian citizens.

“No indications that visas are needed. I do not think that Moldova and the bilateral relations need this, the more so as over 560,000 citizens of Moldova reside in the Russian Federation. I think, their number is over 700,000, in fact,” the Moldova president said and promised to prevent visa introduction.

The population of Moldova, including pensioners and children is less than 3.5 million people. Dodon is sure that visas will affect ordinary citizens first.

“It’s evident that those who promote such ideas do not care for our citizens. I think it is nothing, but provocation,” the president said for conclusion.