Vadim Krasnoselky

Moldova's economy grew by 4.5 per cent in 2017 - well above the eurozone average of about 2 per cent - as the country's foreign debt decreased slightly, a report released by the Ministry of Finance in Chisinau showed on Monday.

At the end of the December 2017, Moldova's foreign debt amounted at 1.7 billion US dollars, 19.3 per cent of the country's GDP, 2 per cent less than in 2016.

Russia has promised further financial aid to Moldova's breakaway Transnistria region, which has long depended on the Kremlin for survival.

During a visit of Transnistria leader Vadim Krasnoselky to Moscow on Saturday, Russian Vice-Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin promised further implementation of "humanitarian and cultural" projects that Russia says it is conducting in the region.

Authorities in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria have ordered all men aged between 18 and 50, including reservists, to take part in a general mobilization.

The decree has created anxiety among many people in Transnistria, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty station in Chisinau, Moldova.