BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania's president has expressed his support for Moldova's pro-European government alliance before parliamentary elections in the neighboring country.
Traian Basescu has said in an interview with a national television station late Thursday that the current government coalition remains a "key factor" for Moldova’s integration into the European Union, which he favors.
Pro-European parties face the pro-Moscow Communists in the Nov. 28 ballot. Romania has been lobbying hard for Moldova to forge closer ties with the EU.
Moldova was part of Romania until 1940 when it was annexed by the Soviet Union. Around four-fifths of Moldova’s 4.1 million population is of Romanian descent. Russian influence also remains strong in the country.
