Press Review: Romania has become the guarantor of the energy and national security of the Republic of Moldova
The main topics covered in Chisinau's publications include the announcement of an international search for former democratic leader Vlad Plahotniuc and the kidnapping of a man in downtown Chisinau by separatist militiamen. Additionally, there are reports on how Romania has become the guarantor of the Republic of Moldova's energy and national security. This information is part of the latest press review.
The former leader of the Democratic Party, Vladimir Plahotniuc, has been declared an internationally wanted person for his arrest and extradition. According to IPN, Interpol has accepted the request from the Republic of Moldova, having previously blocked a similar request from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office in 2020. The current arrest warrant is now visible in all 196 countries that are part of Interpol. Plahotniuc fled the country in 2019 following a change of power in Chișinău and is reportedly hiding from Moldovan authorities in Cyprus.
Romania has positioned itself as the guarantor of energy and national security for the Republic of Moldova, as reported by deschide.md, referencing statements made by Moldova's Ambassador to Bucharest, Victor Chirilă. He noted that Moldova has successfully withstood significant energy pressure from the Russian Federation, partly thanks to Romania, which provided natural gas at capped prices. Chirilă emphasized that "if Romania had not undertaken the necessary technical work, we would not have an alternative today."
Moldova 1 TV has introduced the topic "From Flower Bridges to Stone Bridges," focusing on infrastructure projects across the Prut River. The Ministry of Infrastructure in Chișinău and the Ministry of Transport in Bucharest have signed contracts for developing feasibility studies for these bridges, which will strengthen the ties between the two countries and facilitate access to the European Union. Construction work will commence this April on a key project, the Ungheni-Ungheni bridge, which will be named the "Flower Bridge" to symbolize the 1990 event when Romanians and Moldovans symbolically reunited on the banks of the Prut.
In another incident, a citizen of the Republic of Moldova residing on the left bank of the Nistru was reportedly kidnapped from the center of Chișinău by so-called Transnistrian militias for an alleged crime. RFI reports that Moldovan prosecutors have requested arrest warrants for three suspects who are currently detained. The Promo-LEX Association has condemned the man's kidnapping as an unacceptable abuse and has urged constitutional authorities to fulfil their legal and moral obligations towards citizens. They called for stronger efforts to eliminate such abusive practices and to ensure an environment in which individuals' fundamental rights and freedoms are respected and protected.
Tiraspol is set to borrow from the Russian Federation to finance natural gas purchases, as reported by agora.md, citing a statement from Vitali Ignatiev, the head of the foreign affairs department of Transnistrian region. In an interview, he mentioned that the loan from Russia would support natural gas purchases starting February 10, and an agreement has been made between Moscow and Tiraspol for gas to be purchased on the European market via a company in Hungary. Meanwhile, from February 1 to 10, Transnistrian region will receive free gas supplied through a 30 million euro grant from the European Union. .
Dr. Iryna Borodkina, known as Dr. Serebrova, has escaped criminal and misdemeanor charges in Chisinau, as reported by RISE Moldova. This follows the death of a woman who underwent a procedure at her beauty salon. Previously, Dr. Serebrova was under criminal investigation for smuggling drugs valued at over 1.6 million lei. After nearly two years of investigation, authorities decided to drop the charges against her, citing that the statute of limitations had expired.
Meanwhile, Ecaterina Maniuc, the doctor who administered general anesthesia to the businesswoman who died in the salon, has been detained by law enforcement. According to Ziarul de Garda, prosecutors have opened a criminal case against her for the negligent violation of medical care rules, which may have contributed to the young woman's death.
The Judges Evaluation Commission announced that the cessation of USAID funding has not impacted their work, as reported by Moldova 1 TV. This statement comes in response to concerns raised by President Maia Sandu, who indicated that the end of external funding from the United States Agency for International Development could halt the evaluation process. The commission members are currently engaged in hearings for judges of the Central Court of Appeal, an essential step in the extraordinary external evaluation.
TVR Moldova has reported on the prolonged examination of applications from Bessarabians seeking to reacquire Romanian citizenship. The president of the National Authority for Citizenship of Romania, Silviu-Gabriel Barbu, stated that nearly 160,000 applications from Moldovan citizens are currently being processed. Due to the high volume, the resolution of these applications has reached approximately three years. Statistical data reveals that one in four citizens of the Republic of Moldova also holds Romanian citizenship.
