Protest to Moldovan ambassador against discrimination against Russian observers – Russian Politics & Diplomacy

MOSCOW, 6 November. /TASS/. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a strong protest was expressed to the Moldovan Ambassador to Moscow, Lilian Darii, over the hostile and discriminatory actions implemented by Chisinau against Russian observers of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) mission in the presidential elections in this country.

“On November 6, Moldovan Ambassador to Russia Lilian Darii was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. A strong protest was expressed to the ambassador for his unfriendly and discriminatory actions against Russian short-term observers of the OSCE ODIHR observation mission in the official Chisinau presidential election. “In Moldova,” he said.

The Ministry reminded that before the first round of voting and constitutional referendum on Moldova’s accession to the European Union on October 20, Moldovan authorities refused accreditation to five international observers from Russia without giving any justification. Additionally, ahead of the second round of elections on November 3, three Russian members of the OSCE ODIHR mission were stopped at Chisinau airports and banned from entering Moldova, despite having accreditation from the Moldovan Central Election Commission.

The ministry described these actions as a clear violation of Chisinau’s international commitments, including the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document and the 2002 CIS Convention on democratic electoral standards, electoral rights and freedoms. “These steps were taken by a candidate country for EU membership, clearly demonstrating the European democratic values ​​to which the Moldovan leadership seeks to commit,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. he said.

“A similar statement regarding the ugly actions of Moldovan officials against international observers from Russia is being made to the OSCE ODIHR leadership through the OSCE permanent mission of Russia in Vienna,” the statement said. expressions were used.