By CHISINAU. Nov 24 (Interfax) – The Moldovan parliament passed in the final reading a bill on the procedures governing the enforcement of international sanctions in the country on Friday.
The adopted bill deals with some concepts that play an important role in the enforcement of international sanctions in Moldova. The document outlines a mechanism of “freezing” assets of sanctioned persons. The bill contains a number of provisions concerning reporting of these assets, establishing control over them and blocking.
“The restrictions will be enforced on individuals and legal entities of the Republic of Moldova and from abroad,” the document said.
An interagency council will be created for supervision and introduction of sanctions.
The adoption of the bill is part of the plan to implement measures proposed by the European Commission in its resolution on the start of talks on Moldova’s accession to the European Union (obligations on de-oligarchization). The bill is also aimed at enforcing in Moldova the international sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United States, Canada, Switzerland and other countries on Moldova’s runaway oligarchs Vlad Plahotniuc, Ilan Shor, Veaceslav Platon, and people close to them.
The faction of the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity, composed of 62 members, voted for the adoption of the bill unanimously. The opposition, represented by the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, boycotted the parliament session as the parliamentary majority had refused to remove the issue of extending the state of emergency from the agenda.
The opposition had previously criticized this initiative in the parliament. Vlad Batrincea, chairman of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, in particular, had called on the country’s government to appeal to the Venice Commission before the draft document was approved.
