Goran Bregovic, a Bosnian musician known for his pro-Kremlin regime views will perform in Romania after he was banned from Moldova.
Moldovan Interior Minister Adrian Efros said Bregovic was barred from Moldova based on his pro-Russian views and the fact that he supported Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.
His band had been invited to perform at Guitar Festival in Orhei Vechi on August 20.
However, Bregovic was welcomed in Romania, where he will perform at an EU–funded festival in the village of Jurilovca, a village populated by ethnic Russians in the Danube Delta and Bucharest on 7 October.
Bregovic and his band are scheduled to perform in Bucharest at the Palace Hall, the former venue of communist Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu’s party congresses.
Bregovic came under scrutiny from Ukrainian authorities after performing in 2015 in Crimea.
He was later banned from performing in Ukraine and a festival in Poland. Commenting on the Polish ban, Bregovic said the West has a „paranoid” attitude toward Russia and declared himself an admirer of „Russian greatness.”
He was invited due to his ”global recognition”, the Jurillovca mayor, Ion Eugen, told Europa Libera.
He assured his Moldovan fans he would return to Moldova when there will not be ”any obstacles”.
Serbia’s foreign ministry has requested clarification from Chisinau regarding the incident.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu had previously accused Russia of planning a coup in her country with the help of foreigners, including Serbs, Montenegrins and Belarusians.
Bregovic and his band have performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, London’s Royal Albert Hall, and L’Olympia in Paris.
