Moldovan Foreign Ministry spokesperson slams his Russian counterpart's remarks on Moldova

CHISINAU. April 7 (Interfax) - The spokesperson for Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Igor Zaharov, has said that the latest statement made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova with regard to Moldova is "unacceptable and inconsistent with reality."

Zakharova said on Thursday that "the Moldova-EU rapprochement does not meet the 1993 Copenhagen criteria for accession to the EU, which prioritize candidate countries' observance of democratic principles."

Zakharova believes that Moldova "is heading into the European Union not through strengthening its economy, bolstering democracy and developing the social sphere but through the centralization of power, through censorship and total control over all of its social and political space."

In response to her remarks, Zaharov, for his part, said that "Moldova adheres to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, equality, social justice, respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms."

"Mrs. Zakharova's statements are untrue and unacceptable with regard to our country," Zaharov said in a statement published by the Moldovan ministry on social media.

He said that in Moldova "there is a real parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition, and the media have the right to comment and criticize the authorities freely and unhindered, within the limits set by the law and if it does not endanger national security."

It is Zaharov's first official statement after his appointment as spokesperson for the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration in late March. In this post, Zaharov replaced Daniel Voda, who became Moldovan government spokesperson.