​PARLIAMENT DECLINES OPPOSITION’S DEMAND TO HOLD HEARING OF NATO BUREAU QUESTION

At its plenary meeting convened unexpectedly on Friday, the Moldovan Parliament rejected the Socialist and Communist opposition’s demand to hold a special hearing on the opening of a NATO Bureau in Chisinau.

In particular, Socialist MP Vlad Batrincea proposed to hear Prime Minister Pavel Filip, who signed a Bureau opening agreement with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels last Tuesday.

“We must clear out on what ground and what for Mr. Filip signed that document that undermines the country’s constitutional neutrality and sovereignty. We the parliamentarians must consolidate the country’s neutrality. To this end, last March we passed a Political Declaration for this. We don't want to participate in NATO missions in Asia, Africa and Latin America. And we don't need NATO’s support”, stated Vlad Batrincea.

He was backed by ex-President of Moldova, Chairman of the Communist Party Vladimir Voronin.

Voronin said: “Yet in January 2015 the Communist Party submitted to the Parliament a draft law on the country’s permanent neutrality. It is still lying somewhere in the Parliament’s paper depths. Instead of approving this bill and working to consolidate the nation’s neutrality and achieving its international recognition, our Government prefers to undermine the neutrality. This is impermissible”, stated Vladimir Voronin.

Parliament Chairman Andrian Candu said the organization of such a hearing would be “inappropriate”. He reminded that Prime Minister Pavel Filip had the authority to sign the NATO Bureau opening agreement because the Moldovan Parliament passed such decision yet in July 2016.

“Besides this, the signed Agreement is subject to ratification in the Parliament. So when it comes to the ratification, we will have the possibility to ask questions and hear replies, explanations and opinions”, said Speaker Candu.

He was backed by non-aligned deputy Valeriu Ghiletchi, who reminded that the Agreement on opening NATO Bureau in Chisinau was signed because Moldova is a participant of the NATO Partnership for Peace Program.

“This Program has been working in Moldova for quite many years. In its framework, a lot of events was organized and held in Moldova, including in the period when Mr. Voronin was President and when current president-elect Igor Dodon was in the top power echelon”, said Ghiletchi.

On Thursday, the Moldovan Government approved the bill on ratification of the Agreement on opening a NATO Bureau in Chisinau, and referred the bill to the Parliament for consideration and approval. Member of Government Irina Vlah, the Governor of the southern Moldovan autonomous region of Gagauzia, voted against the bill. She stated that the Agreement undermines Moldova’s neutrality.

“The Agreement signature was an erroneous step. It was very painfully perceived in Gagauzia and Transnistria. Such actions cannot promote the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. On the contrary, they only lead to our losing Transnistria”, stated Irina Vlah.