'We Cannot Survive Without Strategic Partnership With Russia,' Says Moldovan President

Moldovan President Igor Dodon says he is "confident that we cannot survive without a strategic partnership with Russia." Dodon was speaking on August 19 in the city of Comrat, at a ceremony attended by the ambassadors of Russia and Turkey to mark the 26th anniversary of the declaration of the Gagauz region’s autonomy. Making an indirect reference to some of his political opponents in Moldova, Dodon vowed to "fight back hard against those who want to liquidate the Moldovan state." (RFE/RL's Moldovan Service)