Moldova cannot fully join the EU sanctions against russia

Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popschiu said that Chisinau cannot fully join the EU sanctions against russia at the moment.

"Our obligations stipulate that the Republic of Moldova will have a 100% policy of sanctions with the EU. But this is for the future. We currently have a figure of about 80%. Therefore, at this stage, we cannot talk about the full synchronization of sanctions," the politician said.

Popschiu noted that where sanctions against russia affect Moldovan exports and imports, which is due, in particular, to the common Soviet past, Moldova does not join the sanctions.

According to him, the main package of EU sanctions against russia was adopted in 2014, and Moldova did not join it then because there was a high risk of harm.

"The EU is sympathetic to our position. Different countries have different situations. Not all EU member states apply sanctions in the same way, each one takes into account its own interests," he added.

At the same time, the minister, answering a question about the development of Moldova's relations with Belarus, admitted that the republic "has solid commodity positions, especially in agriculture, which Moldova exports to the Belarusian market."

"We do not want to harm our relations with Belarus," the minister added.

At the same time, he again acknowledged that "Moldova's relations with russia are at their lowest level since independence."

Source: Interfax-Ukraine, TV8