"The EU delegation promised us that they would make every effort to ensure that the Moldovan authorities begin a dialogue with a group of negotiators and representatives of the protesters," Vasily Nastase told reporters after a meeting between the activists and Pirkka Tapiola, the head of EU Delegation in Moldova.
Nastase said that the EU mission might mediate the government negotiations with the protesters. On Tuesday, a group of negotiators set off for a meeting with the US ambassador to Moldova, and have agreed to meet with representatives of the German Embassy.
Earlier in the day, the secretary of the Moldovan presidential administration, Ion Paduraru, said that Timofti would not step down, as such a move would not be "in the interest of the country." Paduraru also said that the president might address the protesters later on Tuesday.
The protests in Moldova were sparked by the disappearance of more than $1 billion, or the equivalent of 15 percent of the country's total gross domestic product, from three Moldovan banks last year. The incident negatively impacted the country's banking system and led to depreciation of the national currency, the leu.
