The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, comes to Romania

Producer: Pavel Ionescu - The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, comes to Romania on Thursday, at the invitation of her counterpart Klaus Iohannis. The two heads of states will discuss the support granted to the Republic of Moldova on its European road, common projects, but also about the security challenges and the ways of managing the economic and social effects of Russia's aggression in Ukraine. The Republic of Moldova is prepared for the entire spectrum of threats, announced the Foreign Minister of Chisinau, Nicu Popescu, in an interview for the Reuters Agency. He stated that he has full confidence in the country's security forces and in the allies of Chisinau. The subject of the security challenges for the Republic of Moldova was also addressed in the show "Until problems", held on Radio Romania News.

Reporter: Catalin Purcaru - the Russian Federation has not respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova so far, because it supported the separatist regime from Tiraspol and did not withdraw its troops, said the former Minister of Defense in the neighboring state, Anatol Selaru. He pointed out that the Russian Federation could recognize or attach Transnistria, which would mean escalating the situation in the region.

Anatol Selaru: The Republic of Moldova is the weak link in this zonal conflict and of course, President Biden has noticed very correctly that the Republic of Moldova needs support. We are exposed and the danger has not passed, it was just the beginning. Sunday was the first meeting, but there are still many actions from the pro-Russian parties and the "fifth column". Putin never gave up the idea of transforming the Republic of Moldova into a Kaliningrad, since 2014, when he wanted to do Novorusia and annex the territories of the Republic of Moldova to this new structure. But then Ukraine resisted and saved us and resists and now and saves us again.

Reporter: Former Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu said that the message of President Biden, supporting the Republic of Moldova, was a clear one, understood in both Moscow and in the European capitals.

Cristian Diaconescu: By nominating Sandu Mia and by drawing attention to the Republic of Moldova in a multilateral context, the president of the United States, indeed, sent an extremely interesting, somewhat atypical signal to what is ordinary and protocol in such situations. The interest of the United States, punctually, regarding the Republic of Moldova, is very important at this time. It is possible that, indirectly, he has responded to categories of risks and threats that, obviously, Americans know much better than those at the level of public opinion. The strategic potential from the perspective of the Russian Federation in relation to the Republic of Moldova, as well as the Kaliningrad Peninsula, in the sense of generating vulnerabilities and insecurity in the border of the North Atlantic Alliance is a very high one.

Reporter: Cristian Diaconescu said that, at present, through the requests of President Maia Sandu and the party in government, the European course of the Republic of Moldova means a concrete support from a financial, economic, humanitarian and energy point of view. However, the former Foreign Minister pointed out that, in the event that there will be a pro-russian government in Chisinau, this support will cease.

Translated by: Radu Matei