CHISINAU, March 12. /TASS/. Moscow’s decision to set up polling stations in the unrecognized Republic of Transnistria for Russia’s upcoming presidential election is violating international law, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry said.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador to Chisinau Oleg Vasnetsov.
"The Russian diplomat was handed a protest over the setup of polling stations in the Transnistrian Region of Moldova, which contradicts the Moldovan Foreign Ministry’s position. Such actions by Russia violate the principles and rules of international law and undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova," the statement reads.
The Russian ambassador earlier told reporters that the embassy had received a lot of requests from those wishing to cast their ballots in the Russian presidential election. Vasnetsov pointed out that the right to vote was enshrined in the Russian Constitution and other laws, while the main mission of diplomatic facilities was to facilitate the implementation of the legitimate rights and interests of fellow citizens. The envoy noted that about 250,000 Russians currently resided in Moldova.
As many as 27 polling stations were established in Moldova for the 2018 Russian presidential election, with 24 of them set up in Transnistria. This year, the Moldovan government authorized voting only on the Russian embassy premises.
The upper house Federation Council formally designated March 17, 2024 as the date of the presidential election. In turn, the Russian Central Election Commission decided that citizens would be able to cast their ballots during a three-day voting period on March 15-17, making this Russia’s first three-day presidential election.