"The president has the lawful right and mandate of the majority of the country’s citizens. I will not allow anyone to step between me and the nations. The memorandum of cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union will be signed, full stop," Dodon wrote on his Facebook.
Earlier in the day, Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip addressed Dodon with a letter saying that neither the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with the EAEU, nor the request for observer status for Moldova as part of the union held economic benefits for the country. The statement was made in response to Dodon’s announcement that he planned to sign a framework cooperation agreement with EAEU during an international conference in Chisinau on April 3-4.
Filip, the member of the pro-European Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM), said the EAEU cooperation agreement would be inconsistent with the free trade regime introduced by the Association Agreement between Moldova and the European Union.
Dodon took office on December 23. His election program included restoration of the strategic partnership with Russia, returning Moldovan products to the Russian market and normalizing cooperation in the energy sphere. On February 28, Dodon said it was "vital" for Moldova to restore relations with Russia.
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia are members of the EAEU, which stipulates the freedom of movements of goods, capital, services and people as part of the union and establishes common regulations in various spheres.
