Russia will be in priority after the elections. Dodon’s promises to the Deputies of the State Duma

On November 21, Igor Dodon addressed the deputies of the Russian State Duma. The president assured the Russian parliamentarians that Russia will always remain a strategic partner of Moldova, promised to defend the Russian language and the rights of Russian-speaking citizens, assured the deputies that the absolute majority in Moldova does not want to join NATO, and the Moldovan authorities have a constructive dialogue with Transnistria. Dodon promised that after the parliamentary elections, the establishment of relations with Russia will become the priority of the parliament and the government. Russia is a strategic partner Dodon began his speech by saying: the Russian Federation was, is and will be a strategic partner for the Republic of Moldova. Deputies responded with applause. Knowledge of the Russian language in Moldova is taken as an advantage Igor Dodon said that almost the entire population of our country is more or less fluent in Russian. “One-third of Moldovan citizens call Russian the main language of communication, and the Russian language in Moldova is legally given the status of language of interethnic communication”, the president added and promised to preserve the status of Russian. Restoring relations with Russia will be among the priorities of the new parliament and government Igor Dodon is sure that the full restoration of the dialogue and the resumption of the work of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation of Moldova and Russia will be among the priorities of the new Parliament and the Government of the Republic of Moldova, which will be formed by the results of future parliamentary elections. These measures, according to the president, will give a significant impetus to building a strategic partnership between the countries. “To give practical effect to relations between Moldova and Russia and strategic partnership, I propose and consider it necessary to sign a joint declaration on strategic partnership in the near future and create a joint committee at a high political level to comprehensively discuss strategic issues,” said the President of the Republic of Moldova. Permanent neutrality must be maintained and strengthened According to the president, the “take-it-or-leave-it” policy, which some major powers have been pursuing in the past year in relation to the Republic of Moldova, has clearly proved inconsistency, erroneousness and even flawedness. “My firm position is that the constitutional status of permanent neutrality should be strengthened and developed, as well as to seek its international recognition”, the president assured the Russian deputies. Dodon told the deputies that the overwhelming majority of citizens are against joining NATO. Only a populist or a provocateur can speak about the reducing of a peacekeeping operation Dodon praised and thanked the peacekeeping mission for preserving peace on the Dniester. According to him, it has proven its effectiveness; it cannot be curtailed before a political solution to the conflict. “Until a sustainable and viable political solution to the Transnistrian problem is found, until a mechanism for maintaining peace and stability in the post-conflict period is agreed, only a populist or deliberate provocateur, whose goal is to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova and throughout region, can talk about curtailing the existing peacekeeping operation”, said Dodon. We are all in the same boat - both Chisinau and Tiraspol The president also talked about a constructive dialogue with Tiraspol, and about recent achievements in the Transnistrian dialogue (recognition of diplomas, neutral plates, opening of a bridge across the Dniester, etc.). According to him, the conflict between the banks of the Dniester is resolved, we only need to agree at the political level. “We are in the same boat - both Chisinau and Tiraspol. We have no future without each other”, the president believes. At the end of the speech, Dodon called on the Russian authorities to preserve "the centuries-old friendship between the countries." “Our ancestors, grandfathers, fathers forged this friendship and fraternity for centuries. We must preserve it and pass it on to future generations. Of course, there are many people who want to destroy it. There is a question: Can we cope with it? For my part, I say “yes”. I hope that the answer will be the same on your side too”, Dodon concluded.