Romania offers citizenship to 1m Moldovans

Article reports that the President of Romania has offered fast-track citizenship to up to 1m Moldovans, saying Bucharest could not stand idly by as an 'iron curtain' descended on its eastern border. The move, which would effectively give EU citizenship to almost a quarter of the population of Europe’s poorest state, comes amid rising tension over contested elections in Moldova in April 2009.

ESO: Background information: EU accused of turning blind eye over Moldova http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-accused-of-turning-blind-eye-over-moldova/

ESO: Background information: EU dreams in Communist Moldova http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-dreams-in-communist-moldova/

Wikipedia: Movement for the unification of Romania and Moldova http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_for_unification_of_Romania_and_Moldova

Wikipedia: Moldovan-Romanian relations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian-Moldovan_relations

Deutsche Welle, 17.4.09: EU worried about Romanian offer of citizenship to Moldovans http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4185592,00.html

Czech Republic: EU Presidency: Press Release, 17.4.09: Vondra and Diaconescu on situation in Moldova http://www.eu2009.cz/en/news-and-documents/press-releases/vondra-and-diaconescu-on-situation-in-moldova-17565/

BBC News, 4.5.09: Alarm at EU passports for Moldova http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8029849.stm

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