MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. There is no dialogue between Moldova and Gagauzia at present, as Chisinau has made no effort to establish contact following the arrest of the autonomy’s head, Evghenia Gutsul, according to Ilya Uzun, the first deputy chairman of Gagauzia’s executive committee (government).
"Engagement between Comrat and Chisinau is nonexistent, as the politicians in Chisinau have chosen a different approach toward Gagauzia – one of pressure, blackmail, and threats. Therefore, we have no communication. After they arrested Evghenia Alexandrovna (Gutsul – TASS), we lost any chance of constructive interaction. They refuse to engage," Uzun said on the Rossiya-24 channel.
According to Uzun, the autonomy’s government is operating as usual.
Gutsul won the Gagauzia elections in May 2023. After her victory, the politician proclaimed a course towards strengthening the region’s ties with Russia and criticized Chisinau’s policy of confrontation with Moscow. The Moldovan authorities tried to declare Gutsul’s victory illegal, but the Gagauzia regional parliament expressed solidarity with her. Several rallies were held in support of the new head of the region. Moldovan President Maia Sandu refused to sign a decree approving Gutsul as a member of the government, although this is required by the republic's legislation.
Gutsul was detained on March 25 at Chisinau airport, despite having traveled to Russia, Turkey, and other countries for business trips on multiple occasions before. She was charged with irregularities related to the financing of the 2023 election campaign. Since last year, a trial over irregularities in the financing of the opposition party Sor - declared illegal by Moldova's authorities and subsequently dissolved – has also been underway.
All opposition parties in the Moldovan parliament have condemned Gutsul's arrest.