Igor Dodon

The ambassadors of 22 EU member states issued a joint statement on Thursday afternoon rejecting the public attacks on the EU Ambassador to Moldova, Peter Michalko, by the pro-Russian Socialist Party, PSRM, and Shor Party, led by a fugitive oligarch, Ilan Shor.

The Republic of Moldova is an absolute priority of Romania's foreign policy, and the only way to prosperity and development for the neighbouring country is to continue the European path and fully implement the reforms to which it has committed itself through the Association Agreement, Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu said in Chisinau on Friday.

Faced with criticism of his paid trip to Moscow, which Russian officials booked and covered, Moldova's ex-President, Igor Dodon, has responded by insisting that he could only visit Russia with an official invitation as a result of pandemic rules.

Moldova's pro-Western President Maia Sandu stepped deeper into an all-out confrontation with parliament on Thursday when she rejected its nomination of a new prime minister - and again put forward a rival candidate with no support among MPs.

Angela Gramada, director of the Experts for Security and Global Affairs Association, ESGA, said Gavrilita's potential election would put PAS in a bind.

"How will they [PAS] support their own prime minister, whom they didn't vote for?" she asked.

Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu announced his resignation on Tuesday alongside outgoing President Igor Dodon and Parliament's Speaker, Zinaida Greceanii.

Eleven Socialist Party deputies signed a draft bill on Thursday designed to reduce the powers of the National Integrity Authority, the body which verifies the legality of assets and conflicts of interests among state employees.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is making a firm appeal for the Constitution in the Republic of Moldova to be respected and will act at European level for this state to return to the path of democratic reforms, believing that, through the promulgation of the law regarding the subordination of the Information and Security Service, the still-incumbent President, Igor Dodon, is abusing his power

The US embassy in Moldova reacted angrily on Thursday after the Moldovan parliament cancelled the sale of the former Republican Stadium in Chisinau intended for a new US embassy.

Thousands of Moldovans rallied on Thursday in Chisinau in front of parliament to protest against the move by the Socialist Party and the outgoing President, Igor Dodon, to prevent the incoming president from running the Security and Information Service, SIS.