CHISINAU, April 29. /TASS/. Moldovan opposition will not admit the display of U.S. combat vehicles, which the country's Defense Ministry plans to hold on May 9, the VE-Day, on the main square in the capital Chisinau, Igor Dodon, the leader of the Party of Socialists told TASS on Friday.
"Holding a NATO-led exercise in Moldova and displaying new technologies of the alliance on this country's main square on Victory Day and that's something the Defense Ministry plans to do is a nasty slap in the face of the Constitution, which stipulates our neutral status," Dodon said. "It's also a slap in the face of the national parliament that passed a declaration on permanent sovereignty and neutrality recently."
"People call us saying they're indignant and they want to join actions of protest on the streets and some of them propose to shower the American vehicles with eggs," he said. "I called Prime Minister Pavel Filip and warned him we'll bring people to the protest actions and then the full brunt of responsibility will rest with the organizers of this provocation."
"The Prime Minister gave the assurances to me that a final decision hasn't been taken yet and the authorities will consider the problem," said Dodon whose party speaks in favor of a rapprochement with Russia and controls a quarter of seats in parliament.
"The war (World War II) affected almost every family here and that's why the Moldovans mark Victory Day with particularly warm feelings," he said. "In spite of the authorities position and some politicians striving to revise the results of the war, annually hundreds of thousand of people take to the streets of Chisinau and other cities and villages at the calling of their hearts."
"As of last year, thousands of people take part in the Immortal Regiment action that we'll hold on May 9 when we'll carry the photos of our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers, who defeated Nazism, down the streets of Chisinau," Dodon said.
The Moldovan Defense Ministry said on Friday it would hold a display of defense technologies on Chisinau's main square on May 9. The bulk of the technologies belongs to the U.S., as the American units will take part in the Moldovan-U.S. joint exercise Dragon Pioneer 2016 beginning on May 3, Defense Minister Anatol Salaru told reporters.
"On May 9, the servicemen of the National Army of Moldova and the U.S. Armed Forces will organize a display of defense technologies in memory of the World War II victims," said Salaru who is notorious for the scandalous calls to bring this country into NATO and by the opening of a 'museum of Soviet occupation'.
He is also known for his proposals to send the monuments to Soviet soldiers, who fell in combat actions in Moldova. to the aforementioned museum.
Salaru has already taken practical steps towards translating his ideas into life, as he ordered to take off a T-34 tank off the pedestal on one of the army bases. The move triggered public indignation in Moldova and forced the Russian Foreign Ministry to say the action looked particularly cynical in the context of the 70th anniversary since victory in World War II that was marked in 2015.
"This isn't a military parade, that's a friendly display," Salaru said. "Defense vehicles of Soviet, American and Romanian manufacture, including the ones our army has on its tables of equipment, will be shown on the square."
"The U.S. fought against Hitler during the war and it played a considerable role in the victory over fascism," he said. "I used an opportunity opened by their stay in Moldova and invited them to take part in the display.".