Moldovan Defense Minister Anatoliy Salaru demands explanations regarding the presence of the Russian military attache to Moldova at Wednesday's military parade in Tiraspol marking the 25th anniversary of the unrecognized Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic.
“The Moldovan Foreign Ministry should summon Russian Ambassador Farit Mukhametshin for explanations. The Russian military attache was standing beside Transdniestrian President Eugen Sevciuc. We cannot view the diplomat’s behavior [as anything] other than an unfriendly act,” Salaru told journalists on Sept. 3.
Salaru said he had “forwarded a note to the Moldovan Foreign Ministry demanding the ambassador’s explanations on this account.”
He said the Transdniestrian authorities had sent out invitations to all military attaches of the foreign embassies accredited in Chisinau before the parade.
“All diplomatic missions were warned that their presence at the military parade in Tiraspol was undesirable, as this parade was unlawful,” he said.
Moldova had denounced the organization of a military parade in Tiraspol on Sept. 2, saying that this was aimed “at undermining the principles of the Republic of Moldova’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity recognized by the international community,” the Moldovan governmental reintegration bureau said in a statement.
Transdniestria held a military parade to mark the 25th anniversary of its foundation in Tiraspol on Wednesday, taking part in which were over 2,500 troops of all armed services, security services, and Cossacks, and also over 120 pieces of military hardware, including tanks and multiple rocket launchers.
