Former Romanian President Receives Moldovan Citizenship

CHISINAU (Sputnik) — Former Romanian President Traian Basescu and his wife Maria were granted Moldovan citizenship, Moldovan Secretary General of the Presidential Office Ion Paduraru said on Thursday.

"The president of Moldova today signed two decrees on conferring the citizenship to Maria Basescu and Traian Basescu on the basis of the Article 24 of the Law on Citizenship — on Cases of Multiple Citizenship — which states that the Moldovan citizenship can be granted to a foreign person in exceptional cases or when that is in the interests of the Republic," Paduraru told RIA Novosti.

Basescu, who was president of Romania in 2004-2014, is a supporter of the so-called reconstruction of the Greater Romania through the unification with Moldova. During his time in office, he introduced the legislation allowing for the Moldovans with Romanian ancestors to apply for Romanian citizenship, thus becoming the citizens of the European Union. The former Romanian leader in 2015 declared that Moldova could become part of Romania within the five-year period.

While serving as Romanian president, Basescu was in open conflict with the country's parliament and was twice proposed for the impeachment. In 2013, while still in the office, he stated hat he would not finish his political career and would ask the Moldovan authorities to grant him the citizenship of Moldova. He filed a request for Moldovan citizenship in March this year, together with his wife Maria.

Moldova was part of Romania until 1940.