Moldovan prime minister Alexandru Munteanu arrived in Bucharest on Thursday, November 13, for his first official foreign visit since taking office. He met with president Nicușor Dan and Romanian counterpart Ilie Bolojan before visiting the Parliament, where he met with the president of the Senate, Mihai Abrudean.
After the first meeting, president Nicușor Dan stated that Romania remains the most sincere and firm supporter of the Republic of Moldova on all levels, especially regarding state modernization, reforms, and European integration.
Romania’s support for Moldova’s European path, joint projects bringing numerous benefits to citizens, and new opportunities for cooperation between Chișinău and Bucharest were discussed at the meeting.
“I encouraged the new government to act decisively and responsibly, focusing on economic growth, the welfare of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, and integration into the European Union,” the head of state wrote on Facebook.
PM Ilie Bolojan echoed the message of support after he met with the Moldovan leader, saying that Romania “will work closely with the government in Chișinău, as accession to the European Union is the only option capable of meeting future aspirations and improving the standard of living of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova” in a message posted on X.
He also spoke on the issue during joint declarations with Alexandru Munteanu, saying that Romania will remain a strategic partner and the closest supporter of the Republic of Moldova.
Ilie Bolojan referred to the interconnection of energy and transport infrastructures, such as the Suceava-Bălți power line, the rehabilitation and electrification of the Iași-Ungheni railway connection with EU funds, and the construction of the Ungheni bridge, which will connect to the A8 highway.
Finally, the head of the Romanian government referred to the growth of bilateral trade and Romanian company investments.
“Romanian companies are at the forefront of investment efforts in Moldova, contributing to the creation of new jobs and the overall development of society,” he said.
In reply, the head of the Moldovan government thanked Romania for its support in all areas, highlighting the potential to increase the number of bilateral projects in the economy, education, and shared infrastructure.
“The Republic of Moldova and Romania have a special relationship, based on the indivisible bond between people on both banks of the Prut. At the same time, Romania has always stood by us, offering trust and support in our European path. We have a clear agenda for the next 10 years and a joint commitment to turning citizens’ expectations on both banks of the Prut into concrete results,” Alexandru Munteanu said in a press release with Ilie Bolojan.
The new PM highlighted specific projects, like the modernization of the bridges at Sculeni-Sculeni, Cahul-Oancea, and Leușeni-Albița by 2027, and the construction of four additional new bridges over the Prut river separating the two countries.
Officials also emphasized the importance of energy connectivity projects, such as the high-voltage power line Chișinău-Vulcănești will be completed by the end of this year, and two more connections are planned for the coming years: Bălți-Suceava and Strășeni-Gutinaș.
In a video message Thursday morning, just before leaving for Bucharest, Munteanu said, “We are going with colleagues to meet our friends in Romania, supporters of our European path. We are very happy that our first official visit is to Bucharest.”
(Photo source: Nicusor Dan on Facebook, Ilie Bolojan on X)
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