Moldovan Voters Reject Reunification With Romania

BUCHAREST, Romania — Moldovans have voted overwhelmingly to remain independent, dealing a setback to ethnic Romanians seeking reunification with Romania.

Reacting to Sunday’s referendum, the Romanian government said Monday that the ballot box should not decide the future of Moldova, a small former Soviet republic between Ukraine and Romania. The Soviet Union forced Romania to give up the region in 1940.

More than 90% of the votes said yes to Moldova remaining independent. Voters also approved pursuing “mutually beneficial relations with all countries,” a reference to other former Soviet states.

In parliamentary elections a week earlier, Moldovans--two-thirds of whom are ethnic Romanians--voted for parties seeking closer ties to Russia and shunned nationalists favoring reunification.

Romania feels strong ties to Moldova, whose citizens, a nation of 4.3 million people. They speak Romanian with a Russian accent, share Romania’s national anthem, fly its flag and have a currency named after the Romanian leu.

“Only history can decide the fate of Moldova, and Romania will take action to integrate these two Romanian states,” Romania’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It did not elaborate.