Romanian leader to boycott Moldova conference next month

Bucharest - In a protest move, Romanian President Traian Basescu Wednesday said he would boycott a conference next month in neighbouring Moldova because of political developments there after elections-related unrest in April.

Basescu was to have attended a south-east European conference in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on June 5.

“Because of the events in the post election period in the Republic of Moldova (the trip) would no longer be realized,” the president’s representatives declared Wednesday evening in Bucharest.

The move is likely to worsen relations between the neighbouring countries. Moldova’s President Vladimir Voronin has blamed Romania for provoking unrest in his country, and continued his sharp criticism of Basescu.

Romanians may no longer travel without a visa to Moldova, and the documents are now hard to come by. About 60 per cent of Moldovans are ethnic Romanians.

Last month, tensions mounted after Basescu suggested that Bucharest should offer citizenship to 1 million Moldovans. Senior Romanian officials including Basescu sided publicly with Moldova’s opposition in an electoral dispute, accusing Moldova’s ruling Communist Party of fixing the results of a national vote April 5 to select a new parliament.

The June 5 conference is to include 11 countries which belong to the South East European Cooperation Process initiative founded in 1996. In addition to Romania and Moldova, the group includes Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.

Romania President Cancels Trip to Moldova

Romania's president has canceled a planned trip to Moldova's capital Chisinau where he was due to take part in the South East European Cooperation Process, SEECP, on 5 June.

In a statement late Wednesday, the president's office said his participation is "no longer current," due to the events following the violent riots that erupted after the opposition claimed Moldova's elections on 5 April were rigged.

''Following events marking the post-electoral period in the Republic of Moldova, Romania's President Traian Basescu participation in the SEECP Summit, confirmed in March, is no longer possible,'' reads a statement from the president's cabinet.  

It said Romania's representation in this summit will be decided and announced at a subsequent date.

Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin has accused Romania of trying to overthrow his government in organising the protests in which at least two people died, and threw Romania's ambassador to Chisinau out of the country.  

Romania has denied the accusations. Almost 80 per cent of Moldovans are ethnic Romanians.