CHISINAU, June 26. /ITAR-TASS/. Moldova’s police have arrested two persons on suspicion of plotting “acts of sabotage of the anti-constitutional character” ahead of the signing of the association agreement with the European Union due on June 27.
“Two persons have already been arrested in this case,” the Moldovan Prosecutor General’s Office said in a release on Thursday. “Investigation into the case of subversive anti-constitutional activities fraught with damage to Moldova’s state security and territorial integrity is carried out jointly with the Information and Security Service.” The names of the detained persons have not been made public in the interests of the investigation.
Earlier on Thursday, a Moldovan government delegation led by Prime Minister Iurie Leanca left for Brussels, where the association agreement with the European Union will be signed tomorrow. On Wednesday, the Moldovan government endorsed a national plan of actions to implement the agreement till 2016.
“Nothing will change immediately after Moldova signs the association agreement with the European Union, changes will take place after the implementation of this document starts from the beginning of 2015,” Dr. Mikhail Poisik, an economist, told journalists. “It is quite probable that customs duties would be imposed to protect eastern markets, and this is somewhat misgiving.” He said that Russia had good reasons to think that Moldova would indulge in re-export activities, bearing in mind the fact that up to 60% of products coming from Moldova were re-exports.
Moldova is signing the association agreement with the European Union in the situation when its public opinion is split as to which foreign policy vector should be chosen. In recent referendums in the unrecognized republic of Transdniestria and the Gagauz autonomy, more than 90% of residents voted in favor of closer relations with Russia and seeking membership in the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Public opinion in the rest of the country, according to opinion polls, has split about fifty-fifty. Notably, the number of those favoring closer ties with the European Union has decreased from 69 to 45% over the past two years.{article_photo:737757:'Russia calls for postponing 5+2 talks on Transdniestria until September':'right':'50'}Lawmakers with the opposition Party of Communists, who control about a third of votes in the national parliament, as well as Socialists, the Revival party and representatives from other groups promised to vote against the ratification of the association agreement with the European Union. However, Moldova’s ruling Coalition of Pro-European Government holds the majority of seats in the parliament, which will allow it to ratify the association agreement. Parliament speaker Igor Corman pledged that the association agreement between Moldova and the European Union would be submitted to the Moldovan parliament for ratification immediately after its signing.