Moldova President Criticised for Welcoming North Koreans

Moldova's pro-Russian president Igor Dodon drew sharp criticism from his foes after receiving an official delegation of the North Korean Worker's Party on Saturday, which came to participate in the 20th anniversary festivities of the Moldovan Socialist Party.

Dodon met all ten foreign delegations that participated in the Socialist celebration on July 1 and posted thanks on his Facebook fan page after receiving Hungarian, Turkish, Russia and North Korean officials.

North Korea was represented by the vice-president of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party Ri Su Yong, who is also head of the Diplomacy Committee of the North Korean Parliament and was Foreign Minister from April 2014 to May 2016.

"[North] Korea has an enormous potential to develop commercial relations," Dodon wrote on his Facebook fan page. "They are interested in several categories of Moldovan agricultural products, especially Moldovan wine, and the first batches of Moldovan wine will shortly be exported to this country," the President explained.

He told readers of his posts that he had reminded the North Koreans that Moldova wishes to cooperate equally with both East and West. "We'll make efforts to establish an efficient dialogue," Dodon concluded.

Dodon's critics were not impressed by these diplomatic gestures, however, pointing out that North Korea is a police state with one of the worst human rights records in the world.

The vice-president of parliament, Iurie Leanca, said it was time to limit the President's prerogatives in foreign policy.

"Comrade Dodon, please stop! It's time to become civilized and think maturely!" he said. "We are in Europe, we're supposed to be Europeans, where the values of democracy are at the basis of all states. You cannot...