The tension between Romania and the Moldovan Republic headed by Communist President Vladimir Voronin is about to reach the climax three years after Traian Basescu was elected a President of Romania and he announced the Bucharest-London-Washington Axis. Chishinau authorities announced yesterday the opening of diplomatic war straight by expelling 2 Romanian diplomats: Vasile Nanea, a cultural councilor for the diplomatic mission, and Laurentiu Pinte, a main secretary. The information has been provided by the ZIUA sources in Chishinau. Given the international practices in force, Romania may take similar measures, which Voronin's Communist may wish. According to the press release by the Foreign Ministry in Chishinau, Romania's ambassador there Filip Teodorescu was summoned yesterday in order to be announced that two diplomatic collaborators of the Romanian diplomacy mission were declared to be persona non grata and they had to leave the Moldovan territory within 24 hours. The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest announced that "in order to protest against this surprising, unexpected attitude, the Romanian ambassador refused to submit to the verbal announcement". The Moldovan foreign minister Andrei Stratan informed in his turn that the Moldovan ambassador to Bucharest, Lidia Gutu, was summoned to Chishinau for directions. The President of Romania Traian Basescu commented yesterday that this was about challenges, adding that Romania would continue to support the Romanians in the Moldovan Republic. He argued: "These measures taken by the Chishinau government won't make us restrict the access of the Romanians in the Moldovan Republic to Romania." He added the Chishinau measures wouldn't change Romania's attitude to the Moldovan Republic at all. The President explained: "We address neither the President nor the government or the Moldovan Republic institutions. Our policy is to support the Romanians in the Moldovan Republic, all those who speak Romanian." (...)

Victor RONCEA