Today @ 08:27 CET
Moldova's interim president Mihai Ghimpu has bared his political teeth at Russia's military presence in his country and annoyed the Kremlin by announcing he will not participate in the traditional military parade on Moscow's Red Square. The lavish parade, set for the 9 May, will mark the 65th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. In a surprise move however, Moldova's president declared he would not attend the ceremony, although he will be in Moscow the day before, for the summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
"We do not belong there," Mr Ghimpu stated of the 9 May events. "How can I participate in a parade next to the army that brought us Communism, which inflicted hunger on us and deported us to Siberia?"
Tiny Moldova's statement provoked a quick reaction from its huge neighbour, although surprisingly, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov directed his disapproval at Romania rather than at Mr Ghimpu.
Bucharest is trying to shape Moldova's attitude toward Russia, Mr Lavrov suggested. "We recognise Moldova as a sovereign independent state", said the Russian politician, "but not all Moldova's neighbours do so. Their Western neighbours refuse to regard the Moldovans as a nation. If I were in Mr Ghimpu's shoes, I would be concerned precisely about this issue," Mr Lavrov pointed out.
But Mr Ghimpu remained on the political offensive. "Romania is not the country keeping an army on Moldovan territory", he retorted, referring to the 18-year-long presence of Russian troops in Transnistria, the separatist Moldovan region.
In an interview with the Russian daily Kommersant published on Wednesday, Mr Ghimpu reiterated that he would not go to the parade. He asked Moscow to pull its troops out of Transdnistria and to stop protecting the separatist local leader Igor Smirnov.
Moldova shares a long and complex history with both Romania and Russia. The country used to be part of Romania until 1940, when it was occupied by Soviet troops. Romania was the first to recognize Moldova's independence in 1991, but refused to sign a border treaty with it.
Mr Ghimpu has been cautious towards Moscow during his service as interim president, while his friendliness to Bucharest is well-known. He even said his country's language is Romanian – instead of the fictitious "Moldovan" elevated to official status for more than half a century by the Communist rulers.
