CHISINAU. Dec 16 (Interfax-AVN) - The Moldovan Foreign Ministry has issued a statement calling the limited Russian military presence on Moldova's territory unfounded and illegitimate.
The statement was circulated on Thursday following a comment by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which was described in Chisinau as a "gross interference in the internal affairs of Moldova."
"The Russian Foreign Ministry's comment does not answer the question concerning the legitimacy of the presence of a limited Russian troop contingent on the Moldovan territory," the statement says.
Addressing OSCE foreign ministers in Sofia on December 6, Moldovan Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan described the Russian military presence in Moldova as "occupation" and Moldova as its "victim".
On December 15 the Russian Foreign Ministry circulated a comment saying that "such interpretation of the real state of affairs can't be assessed other than absurd, irresponsible and obviously unfriendly."