Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu said he is not aware of any intention by the European Union to ask Russia to withdraw its troops from Transnistria. He made the statement in the TV8 studio and added that he welcomes the fact that Moldova is not excluded from the negotiation process.
“I do not know anything about it. But I was pleased to hear the statement. I met with Kaja Kallas and we had a very good discussion. I am glad that she, and I believe the European Commission as well, adopted this position. We are not excluded from this negotiation process, because it concerns regional security and, ultimately, European security. It is good to resolve all such situations. I understand it is not only about Transnistria, but about Russian troops in several countries,” Munteanu said.
He expressed support for Moldova’s reintegration and described Transnistria as an occupied territory rather than a historically secessionist region.
“As someone who traveled to Tiraspol in my childhood to buy apples, I consider the Transnistrian region an integral part of the Republic of Moldova. I feel sorry for the population, for our citizens who are going through a very harsh winter. We want a solution. As the President has stated several times, Russian troops must withdraw from our territory. The situation in Transnistria does not reflect the history of a secessionist region, but the history of an occupied territory,” the Prime Minister said.
According to media reports, Kaja Kallas circulated a draft document to representatives of EU member states proposing that, in the context of peace negotiations on Ukraine, Brussels request the withdrawal of Russian troops from Moldova’s separatist region and from other countries, including Belarus and Georgia.