CHISINAU. Aug 2 (Interfax) - The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) has called for refraining from hasty conclusions regarding an incident near Russia's embassy in Chisinau as long as the inquiry into it is ongoing.
As reported earlier, a driver rammed a Mercedes into the gates of the Russian embassy early on Wednesday, after which he tried to escape, but four police crews managed to stop the car outside the city. During the chase, the Mercedes damaged two more cars. No one was injured, and the driver was ultimately detained.
The MFAEI said in a statement on Wednesday that the incident was being investigated by the General Police Inspectorate.
"The MFAEI, in cooperation with competent authorities, strives to provide optimal conditions for the work of foreign missions and official delegations. In this context, the MFAEI expresses its regret over the incident and reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the proper functioning of all diplomatic missions accredited in the country in line with diplomatic practice and norms stipulated by the 1961 Vienna Convention," it said.
The incident happened in the wake of Chisinau's decision announced last week to reduce the Russian embassy personnel to 25 from 84 employees, leaving 10 diplomats and 15 technical staff members. The MFAEI said at the time that the decision was prompted by the embassy's "numerous unfriendly actions with regard to Moldova, which are unrelated to diplomatic activities, as well as attempts to destabilize the situation in the country." A diplomatic note handed to Russia stipulated that it had to comply with Moldova's decision by August 15, 2023.