Octavian Ticu

The move, however, has been criticised as discriminatory, favouring one religious community over myriad others that were snuffed out under Soviet rule and had their properties seized by the state.

Currently, Moldovan law does not provide for restitution of property claimed by legal entities, only private individuals.

The leader of the Dignity and Truth Platform Party, PPDA, Andrei Nastase, intends to run again in the new mayoral race for the capital, Chisinau which should take place this summer. Parliament in Moldova has not yet set an exact date for the election.

All the main political parties in Moldova on Wednesday or Thursday submitted their lists of candidates to the Central Electoral Commission for the parliamentary elections due on February 24.

Under the new and controversial "mixed" electoral system, half the winning candidates for the 101 seats will come from party lists and half will be elected in constituencies.

The relations between Romania and Luxembourg are unfolding in a privileged framework of dialogue at both bilateral and European level, marked by the moment in 2007 when Luxembourg and Sibiu became European Capitals of Culture, which gave a new boost to the bilateral relationship and created a substantial bond not only between the two cities but also between the two countries, Romania's