In an interview for HotNews.ro, Republic of Moldova President Mihai Ghimpu qualified the international press comments, reading that Romania plan to introduce Moldovans through the backdoor in the EU, as speculations. He declared that Moldovans are Romanians, share the same blood and the national and international right to gain Romanian citizenship for those who had it before 1940. At his turn, Romanian President Traian Basescu declared that Romania does what any other country did in similar situations: we offer those citizens who lost citizenship based on political decisions a preferrential treatment to regain it.

Mihai Ghimpu about Romania's decision:

• I am sorry that some speculate on this matter
• I met many European political leaders in Chisinu and outside it and nobody raised this subject
• this is a press speculation: it started in Moscow and then reached Germany 
• Germany, France and Spain also ffer citizenship 
• Why it is only Romania's case put forward as a problem maker to the EU 
• it is a false problem and I want those who speculate to understand that we are Romanians, we share the same blood and we have the national and international right to demand Romanian citizenship for those who had it before 1940 
• it is a right we cannot neglect 
• our citizens were sent to find a place somewhere else
•  I do not see any problem in this sitution 
• Moldovans just want to feel Romanians, they do not want to emigrate 

Traian Basescu about the decision to offer Romanian citizenship to Moldovans:

• I have nothing to fear that this subject might interfere in Romania's entry to Schengen 
• Romania respects the 1997 Council of Europe Convention regarding citizenship 
• we  offer citizenship on an individual basis, not en masse
• They do not have language problems and are citizens without rihts
• Stalin decided to take the Romanian citizenship from some and this is what is causing all this
• most of those who receive citizenship remain in Romania
• This year, 17,000 citizens requested Romanian citizenship 
• Most of them studied in Romania, did not have citizenship and were unable to work in Romanian companies
• as they received it, most of them work in multinational companies in Romania 
• The press is trying to hide a reality: the black market 
• Where are the millions of citizenships offered, as writted by the international press, since Romania offered 17,000 citizenships this year?