Moldavia's head calls Russia strategic partner

Moldavia's President Vladimir Voronin made an inauguration speech on Saturday. He confirmed all Moldavia's international agreements and commitments. Among Moldavia's strategic partners he first mentioned the Russian Federation.

One of the main priorities for the republic, he said, would be relations with CIS countries. Voronin also spoke highly of the assistance being rendered to Moldavia by the US and European countries. In his inauguration speech the new Moldavian president described the previous 10 years as "years of internal degradation of state power and of the economy". Moldavia, according to him, has turned into "a zone of humanitarian catastrophe, poverty and primitive state policy". Voronin assessed the Communist victory at the parliamentary elections as "the last chance to radically alter the situation".