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Kremlin says carefully monitors situation in protest-hit Chisinau

On Sunday, thousands of people took to the streets demanding resignation of Moldova's president and the government

© Vadim Denisov/TASS

MOSCOW, September 7. /TASS/. The Kremlin is carefully monitoring the situation in Moldova’s capital Chisinau where protests are currently underway, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

"Of course, [Russian president] is aware [of this]," Peskov told reporters. "We are carefully monitoring how the events are developing in Moldova," the Kremlin spokesman added.

Some 100 people continue protesting against the government policy in a tent camp outside the building of the cabinet of ministers in downtown Chisinau. On Sunday, thousands of people took to the streets demanding resignation of the president and the government.

Police said the rally drew up to 40,000 people.

The rally organizers - the leaders of the Dignity and Truth civic platform - said they would stay in the tent camp until their demands have been met. The protests also involve the supporters of the Red Block party.

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The protesters accuse the country’s leadership of catering to the interests of oligarchic groups and merely simulating the process of European integration. The demonstrators have handed over a resolution with their demands to Moldova’s Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet, who met with them.

The key demands are holding early parliamentary elections no later than March 2016, the resignation of the president and the nation-wide presidential election. They also press for the resignation of the government and appointment of civil society representatives in charge of the law enforcement agencies.

The prime minister said the authorities were ready for a dialogue with the protesters. He added however that many demands cannot be met immediately and need broader discussion.

Eight protesters have been detained for "aggressive actions" against police.

Demonstrators call for diplomatic missions to mediate talks with Moldovan authorities

Protesters in the central square of Chisinau have urged foreign diplomats to act as mediators at their negotiations with the authorities.

"We have handed over our demands to all diplomatic missions accredited in the Republic of Moldova without exceptions," lawyer Andrei Nastase, appointed spokesman of the Demnitate si Adevar (Dignity and Truth) platform, has said. He dismissed reports some foreign forces were behind the current protests in Moldova.

Nastase said a meeting between the demonstrators and Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet failed to take place on Sunday because the latter was against holding it in the central square.

"We are waiting for the president, the speaker of parliament and the head of government here," Nastase said.

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