Moldovan Foreign Office on Russia Entry Ban for 12 Moldovan Citizens: Such Measures Are Already Becoming Commonplace

Russia’s decision to close entry for a number of Moldovan persons is regrettable, but such measures are already becoming commonplace on the Kremlin authority’s agenda. This is how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) commented on the restrictions of entering Russia for representatives of the Moldovan Presidential Office, the Government and journalists. “Despite this fact, Moldova remains firmly committed to countering external interference and any destabilizing actions against our security and sovereignty,” MFAEI representative Igor Zaharov said. The day before, the Moldovan ambassador to Moscow, Lilian Darii, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. He was given a note of protest in connection with “unfriendly actions of Chisinau”. The Russian Foreign Ministry specified that the unfriendly actions include certain facts of “politically motivated persecution of Russian and Russian-language mass media, as well as discrimination against Russian citizens entering Moldova”. Moscow decided to block a number of Moldovan journalists and officials from entering Russia. Among them are Adrian Băluțel, head of the Moldovan President’s Cabinet, Olga Roşca, presidential adviser for foreign affairs and strategic communications, Artur Mija, Secretary-General of the Government, Ruslan Mihalevschi, member of the Council for Television and Radio, and Alexandru Manole, coordinator of the Centre for Strategic Communications and Combating Disinformation. Moscow also imposed entry restrictions on Jurnal TV general director Adrian Buraga, ProTV Chișinău presenter Lorena Bogza, deputy editor-in-chief of Newsmaker Stela Untila, Europa liberă Moldova journalist Denis Dermenji, Diez.md editor-in-chief Petru Beşleaga, as well as journalists Mihai Conţiu from Moldova Suverană and Tudor Ioniță from Deschide.md.