CHISINAU, August 29. /TASS/. Moldova’s sovereign development can be ensured only by strict adherence to the neutral status enshrined in its constitution, believes Oleg Ozerov, the Russian ambassador in Chisinau.

"As public opinion polls show, despite the diversity of political views, the people of Moldova are united in their desire to defend the right to determine their own destiny independently, without external pressure. There is a prevailing understanding that the sovereign development of the republic can be ensured only on the basis of strict adherence to the neutral status enshrined in the country’s constitution," he said in an interview with TASS.

He said that, against the backdrop of the unfounded accusations directed at Russia of "interfering in internal affairs," Moscow has, over the centuries, created conditions for the preservation and development of the original Moldovan identity and distinctiveness, including by force of arms, protecting the local population from foreign invaders who denied it the right to an independent historical existence.