[ad_1]
Russia is reacting to recent statements by NATO Secretary General Jans Stoltenberg, who accused Moscow of violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova by keeping its troops in Transnistria. “The Russian peacekeepers are legally in the Transnistria region,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
“I believe that NATO has reliable and credible sources of information in the vicinity of the alliance, as Stoltenberg said, and that these sources could inform you about relevant Russian-Moldovan agreements in this regard,” said Maria Zaharova, spokeswoman. from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reports UniMedia, quoting the TASS agency.
“The deployment of the Russian military contingent, which is part of the joint peacekeeping forces deployed there and guarantees the protection of the warehouses in the village of Cobasna, is carried out legally. During the 28 years of presence of the maintenance operation of peace in the Dniester, has proven its effectiveness, reliably ensuring peace and stability in the region, “added Zaharova.
As Zaharova noted, Russia is committed to the strict fulfillment of the mandate and tasks of the peacekeeping operation by its military contingent: “We start from the premise that this issue is at the heart of Russian-bilateral relations. Moldovans “.
“I would like to advise the secretary general of NATO to deal with its members, especially the United States and its illegal presence, for example in Syria,” he added.
NATO allies announced that they strongly support the territorial integrity and independence of the Republic of Moldova, at a press conference at the end of the first day of the meeting of Foreign Ministers of NATO member countries in Brussels.
“We see how Russia has deployed troops in violation of the wishes of various governments in our neighborhood, how Russia has illegally annexed Crimea, how it continues to destabilize eastern Ukraine, how there are Russian troops in regions of Georgia and also how there are troops in Moldova, on the left bank of the Dniester, “said the NATO chief.
“And this violation of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova is another example of how Russia too often does not respect international law and the territorial integrity of countries, including Moldova,” Stoltenberg said.
The statements by the NATO secretary general come after the Kremlin’s concerted attacks in recent days against the president-elect of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, who said that Russia must withdraw its troops from the Transnistria region (GOTR). The Russian peace will be replaced by a civil one, with an international mandate, under the auspices of the OSCE.
Editing: Robert Kiss
