ID :
137615
Sat, 08/14/2010 - 16:39
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/137615
The shortlink copeid
Romanian president denies massive migration of Moldovans to EU
BUCHAREST, August 14 (Itar-Tass) -- Romanian President Traian Basescu
has described as a "pre-planned campaign" Western media stories about a
mass migration of Moldovans having Romanian passports to the EU.
"These publications are a pre-planned campaign that conceal the
reality," Basescu told journalists on Friday. He cited statistics
indicating that this year 53,000 Moldovans had filed applications for
Romanian citizenship, but only 17,000 passports were eventually issued.
"Well, and where the millions? Obviously, we are witnesses to a
certain campaign, and this riddle is still be resolved," said Basescu.
He dismissed the charges addressed to the Romanian authorities they
were massively issuing passports, adding that the country's citizenship
was granted on the basis of individual applications and in accordance with
the laws of the Council of Europe.
"We have been doing what all other countries do, that is, creating
preferential conditions for obtaining citizenship for all those who had
lost it against their will, as a result of Stalin's decisions," Basescu.
In August, several leading European media published critical articles
about the Romanian policy of granting citizenship to Moldovans. They
claimed that Basescu was "hoodwinking the European Union, giving Romanian
passports to hundreds of thousands of Moldovan citizens, with which they
can move freely within the EU."
The decision of the Romanian authorities to speed up the issuance of
passports to Moldovan citizens complicated relations between the two
countries last year. Former Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin accused
Bucharest of an "aggressive policy," which led to a cooling of relations
between Chisinau and Bucharest. For his part, Basescu refused to sign a
border agreement with Moldova and ordered to facilitate the issuance of
Romanian passports to Moldovan citizens. Under the Romanian parliament's
resolution, such passports can be granted to the descendants of those who
had lived in the territory of Romania within the pre-1940 borders
(including present-day Moldova and parts of the Odessa and Chernovtsy
regions of Ukraine). Applicants for citizenship are exempted from having
an interview to confirm their knowledge of the Romanian language. Earlier
this year, the Romanian government established the National Agency for
Citizenship. Its task is to accelerate the process of granting Romanian
citizenship.
has described as a "pre-planned campaign" Western media stories about a
mass migration of Moldovans having Romanian passports to the EU.
"These publications are a pre-planned campaign that conceal the
reality," Basescu told journalists on Friday. He cited statistics
indicating that this year 53,000 Moldovans had filed applications for
Romanian citizenship, but only 17,000 passports were eventually issued.
"Well, and where the millions? Obviously, we are witnesses to a
certain campaign, and this riddle is still be resolved," said Basescu.
He dismissed the charges addressed to the Romanian authorities they
were massively issuing passports, adding that the country's citizenship
was granted on the basis of individual applications and in accordance with
the laws of the Council of Europe.
"We have been doing what all other countries do, that is, creating
preferential conditions for obtaining citizenship for all those who had
lost it against their will, as a result of Stalin's decisions," Basescu.
In August, several leading European media published critical articles
about the Romanian policy of granting citizenship to Moldovans. They
claimed that Basescu was "hoodwinking the European Union, giving Romanian
passports to hundreds of thousands of Moldovan citizens, with which they
can move freely within the EU."
The decision of the Romanian authorities to speed up the issuance of
passports to Moldovan citizens complicated relations between the two
countries last year. Former Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin accused
Bucharest of an "aggressive policy," which led to a cooling of relations
between Chisinau and Bucharest. For his part, Basescu refused to sign a
border agreement with Moldova and ordered to facilitate the issuance of
Romanian passports to Moldovan citizens. Under the Romanian parliament's
resolution, such passports can be granted to the descendants of those who
had lived in the territory of Romania within the pre-1940 borders
(including present-day Moldova and parts of the Odessa and Chernovtsy
regions of Ukraine). Applicants for citizenship are exempted from having
an interview to confirm their knowledge of the Romanian language. Earlier
this year, the Romanian government established the National Agency for
Citizenship. Its task is to accelerate the process of granting Romanian
citizenship.
