CHISINAU. Feb 17 (Interfax) - The Moldovan Foreign Ministry is disappointed with the tone and the emphasis of statements made by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko following his meeting with leader of Transdniestria Vadim Krasnoselsky in Tiraspol.
The Foreign Ministry also voiced regret over Rudenko's remarks that Russia intends to broaden the powers of its mobile consulate in Tiraspol, adding that this consulate operates without permission from the Moldovan authorities.
"The deputy minister's approaches are in contrast with the Russian Federation's official position supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova," the ministry said in a commentary.
Chisinau also reminded the Russian side of the need to abide by the requirements of the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations.
According to the Moldovan Foreign Ministry, Rudenko said that, in line with the Russian Foreign Ministry's decision, the mobile consulate of the Russian embassy to Moldova in Tiraspol "will receive additional technical specialists who will help clear the backlog of work accumulated during the pandemic such as the extension of passports, the legalization of documents, and notarial issues."
Around 220,000 people in Transdniestria have Russian citizenship. A total of 14,000 Russian citizens are awaiting their turn at the mobile consulate to renew their passports or other documents. The Moldovan Foreign Ministry, in turn, refuses to allow Russia to open its permanent consulate in Tiraspol, saying that it does not control this territory and thus cannot guarantee diplomats' safety there.
Rudenko met with Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita, Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu and Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebrian in Chisinau on Tuesday. The following day, the Russian delegation held meetings with the leadership of Transdniestria.
Russian officials and representatives of the other mediators will attend a meeting of the political representatives of Chisinau and Tiraspol - Moldova's Serebrian and Transdniestrian Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatyev - on Thursday. It will be their first meeting following Serebrian's appointment to his current post in late January. The meeting will take place at the office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Permanent Mission in Moldova.