RF EMBASSY COUNTS ON MOLDOVA’S CONSENT TO OPEN POLLING STATIONS FOR RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

The Russian Embassy in Chisinau confirmed that back in November 2023 it had approached the Moldovan side with information about the intention to hold the election of the President of the Russian Federation in the territory of Moldova for Russian citizens permanently residing in this republic, “and with a request to ensure, as is customary in international practice, security for the would-be polling stations.”

The Embassy said on its telegram channel that this is a normal procedure that is used by both the Russian Embassy in Chisinau and the Moldovan Embassy in Moscow when organizing voting abroad.

“We count on receiving a positive response to our request as soon as possible in order to ensure the constitutional right of Russian citizens living in the territory of the Republic of Moldova to democratic expression of will,” the Embassy said in a statement.

It promised for its part to make every effort to provide such an opportunity to a maximum-possible number of Russian citizens.

As has already been reported by INFOTAG, the presidential election in the Russian Federation has been scheduled for March 15-17. The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration is still “studying the request of the Russian authorities regarding the opening of polling stations in Moldova for the presidential election in the Russian Federation” and promises to give an answer “within a reasonable time”.

At the last election to the State Duma [parliament] of the Russian Federation, which took place on September 17-19, 2021, 30 polling stations were opened in Moldova, of which 27 were opened in Transnistria. The official Chisinau did not agree to their opening and expressed regret that “the Russian side, despite the consistent position of the Moldovan authorities, acted in a way that does not correspond to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova and the bilateral legal framework.”