Protests in Chisinau as Commonwealth of Independent States summit begins

The Actiunea Europeana [European Action] Movement (AEM) and the Moldovan Greens gathered near the Palace of the Republic where the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit began to argue for Moldova's withdrawal from this organization.

AEM head Anatol Petrenco told the press that Moldova should only focus on joining the European Union and that the CIS was an obsolete organization that caused more problems than it solved. Andrei Dumbraveanu, head of the Moldovan Greens, added that the foreign weapons on Moldovan soil (referring to Russian troops stationed in the breakaway republic of Transnistria) could cause environmental damage.

The two parties had to argue with police officers who prevented them from getting too close to the Palace, and Mr. Petrenco accused the new Government of not being as democratic as it promised.

The ruling Alliance for European Integration is considered to be more pro-Western and pro-European, but seems to have taken a cautious path in its ties with Russia. It has organized the CIS summit, and Alliance officials have expressed a desire to meet with Kremlin representatives. As a result, Moldovan editorialists like Timpul's Constantic Tanase, a well-known independent journalist, said that some of the Alliance's electorate may grow increasingly disappointed if it does not see a visible pro-European and pro-Western change in Moldovan domestic and foreign policy. The AEM could eventually try to catch some of that electorate.

h/t www.stireazilei.md