Moldovan President Hopes to Fix Russian Diplomats Expulsion Problem During SPIEF

Moldovan President Igor Dodon expressed hope to fix the problem related to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the republic.

CHISINAU (Sputnik) — Moldovan President Igor Dodon expressed hope on Tuesday to fix the problem related to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the republic during his upcoming trip to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

The Russian Embassy in Moldova on Monday received a note stating that five Russian diplomats were declared persona non grata in the country. Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip said the decision was made on the basis of information received from security services. Dodon told Sputnik he condemned such actions by the Moldovan government.

"If the Russian market closes as a result of irresponsible actions of the [Moldovan] government, dozens and hundreds of farmers will become bankrupts. Tomorrow I will visit the Russian Federation. I will try again to fix the error by Euro-Unionists from Chisinau," Dodon said on Facebook.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said Monday Russia viewed these steps as a direct provocation by certain Moldovan forces against Dodon's policy and would adequately respond to Chisinau's actions.

On Tuesday, Dodon said he hoped to discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the republic on the sidelines of the SPIEF set for June 1-3.

The SPIEF is the key global platform for business representatives’ communication and discussion of crucial economic issues that the world faces. At least 39 ministers from 26 states have confirmed their participation in the 2017 forum. Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency is the official media partner of the forum.