Moldovan Foreign Ministry summons Belarusian ambassador over display of map indicating strike upon Moldova from Odesa

CHISINAU. March 2 (Interfax) - Belarusian Ambassador to Moldova Anatoly Kalinin was urgently summoned to the Moldovan Foreign Ministry on Wednesday after an image of a map present at the Belarusian Security Council office indicating a military strike from Odesa upon Moldova was circulated on social media.

A Telegram video showed a meeting of the Belarusian Security Council, during which Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko used a map to explain some details about Russia's special operation in Ukraine, which indicated a potential strike on Moldova, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry said.

Ambassador Kalinin explained to Moldovan State Secretary Ruslan Bolbocean that "the information on the map was presented incorrectly by officials from the Belarusian Defense Ministry."

Bolbocean called on "the Belarusian embassy to intervene publicly to dispel the misunderstandings and rumors about a possible attack on Moldova circulating among the public."

"In view of this, Moldovan authorities call for staying calm and seeking information from official and trustworthy sources," it said.

In view of the situation in Ukraine, the Moldovan parliament has declared a state of emergency for 60 days. Since February 24, about 100,000 refugees from Ukraine have entered Moldova, and most of them have travelled further to European Union countries, while some 50,000 refugees have been accommodated in Moldova.