MOSCOW. Aug 14 (Interfax) - The Moldovan authorities' decision to cut the staff at the Russian embassy in Chisinau will have a negative impact on residents of both countries, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Those who were until recently employed with Russian missions in Moldova and their family members, all earlier forced to leave the country after the Moldovan authorities decided to cut the staff of the Russian embassy, trade mission and the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Chisinau, returned to Russia on August 14 on a specially chartered flight, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement for the media.
"This unfriendly move by Chisinau will undoubtedly have repercussions for Russian-Moldovan relations, but first of all, it will affect the residents of both countries whose chances to receive timely consular assistance and maintain business and cultural ties will be diminished drastically," it said.
The Foreign Ministry in its statement draws the attention of Russian and Moldovan nationals to the fact that "Russian embassy staff will not be able to keep providing consular services in due amount and within due deadlines following these personnel cuts." The operation of the Russian trade mission and the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Chisinau will also be involuntarily limited, it says.
"Responsibility for this completely rests with the Moldovan leadership, which, within the framework of the largescale anti-Russian campaign that it started, made the absolutely unprovoked decision to considerably reduce the number of people employed with Russian missions in Moldova," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.