Russia protests to Moldova over refusal to accredit its election observers

MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it summoned Moldova's ambassador to protest against the country's refusal to accredit Russian representatives as observers in parliamentary elections.

These actions undermine confidence in the legitimacy and transparency of the elections due to take place on Sunday, the ministry said.

The Moldovan Foreign Ministry confirmed that its Moscow ambassador had been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, adding that all measures for the election undertaken by authorities sought to ensure the integrity and transparency of the polls.

"Decisions on accreditation of international observers are taken in conjunction with national legislation and Moldova's international obligations in order to guarantee a free, fair and transparent process," the Moldovan statement said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova later issued a statement saying Russia had appealed to the 57-nation Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe to assess decisions taken by Moldova in staging the election.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Bill Berkrot)