"Concerning the decision to expel our diplomats, these are internal Moldovan problems … Fearing the further rise of Dodon’s influence they [the parliament and the government] decided to deteriorate relations with Russia," Dzhabarov told reporters.
The lawmaker pointed out that the real power in Moldova belongs to the parliament and the government, not to the president.
Dzhabarov also commented on the expulsion of two Russian diplomats from Estonia, saying that NATO may have contributed to this decision.
"Probably someone from the NATO allies of Estonia advised them to 'bite' Russia," the lawmaker said.
He added that the step was unlikely to cause serious consequences for Russian-Estonian relations.
On Friday, Estonian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Sandra Kamilova said the country's authorities had ordered Russia’s Consul General in Narva Dmitry Kazennov and Consul Andrey Surgaev to leave the country. Later in the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the expulsion of the Russian diplomats would further deteriorate bilateral relations as it would not be left without an adequate response from Moscow.
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