Tiraspol, 6 June. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The five Russian diplomats expelled from Moldova were members of the Joint Control Commission (JCC). The JCC's work may cease without them. This is what Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said, commenting on the decision by official Kishinev, during a meeting with the students of Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University.
«The government [of Moldova] suddenly expelled five persons, employees of our embassy. Mostly those who worked as military attachés. These people ensure the functioning of the JCC, consisting of representatives of Kishinev, Pridnestrovie and Russia. They regularly discuss issues related to security on the contact line between Pridnestrovie and Moldova. They just expelled them. This commission won't be able to work," said Lavrov.
The Russian minister noted that in response to Kishinev's actions, Moscow could impose restrictions on Moldovan labour migrants, but Russian President Putin had decided not to do so at that stage.
«Just understand it, for God's sake, it is very difficult to indefinitely tolerate these attacks on us. Our people, as I've already said, are patient and tender-hearted, and all of these qualities persist. But our people are also proud and ready to stand up for themselves. We do know it was not Kishinev's initiative. Kishinev has no freedom of manoeuvre to do so. We need to understand who wants to cause a quarrel between us and our neighbours. In some cases, as with Ukraine, they have succeeded in inflaming anti-Russian sentiments," underscored Lavrov.
