MFA REMAINED DISCONTENTED WITH MEETING WITH MOLDOVAN PILOTS

The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration has expressed its deep concern about the conditions of accommodation and medical treatment of Moldovan helicopter pilots Lionel Buruiana and Mihai Crihan who were released from captivity in Afghanistan on February 9.

The Ministry described the story in its "Information about the details around the situation with the Moldovan pilots being detained in Moscow by a Russian non-governmental organization".

The Ministry maintains that "after one week of official inquiries sent to the Russian authorities concerning the whereabouts and health condition of Moldova citizens Lionel Buruiana and Mihai Crihan that remained unanswered, a Moldovan delegation eventually managed to determine themselves the pilots' location".

"Last weekend, the Moldovan officials, after several hours of negotiations with security guards, were permitted to talk to the pilots for only 10 minutes - with conversation topics restricted and without carrying mobile phones or any other electronic devices", said the document.

The Ministry perceived those conditions as unfounded and going contrary to the international law and common sense. The Ministry was particularly indignant about that fact that "shortly before that, an official representative of another [Moldovan] state institution was given an access to the pilots without whatever restrictions. And yet earlier, restrictions were cancelled with regard to a number of persons, including journalists".

Also, the Ministry was strongly surprised with the thorough checks of the members of the Moldovan delegation that consisted of Ministerial officials and accredited diplomats from the Moldovan Embassy in Moscow because "the checks were carried out by security officers who stated they were acting on behalf of a non-governmental organization".

The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration has perceived the Organization's approach to interaction with Moldovan state agencies as "fully non-transparent and selective".

In the opinion of Dr. Eugen Vasiliev, the medical expert included into the Moldovan official delegation, the health condition of both Moldovan pilots permits to bring them home to Moldova without a delay.