Moldova’s new Prime Minister on a visit to Bucharest
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Vasile Tofan, met in Bucharest with the Romanian Head of State, Nicușor Dan, and his counterpart, Ilie Bolojan
Leyla Cheamil, 31.07.2026, 14:00
Vasile Tofan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova – a former Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population – Thursday made his first foreign visit to Romania since taking office. He was received by the Head of State, Nicuşor Dan, who reaffirmed Romania’s firm and consistent support for the country’s integration into the European Union. The President also welcomed the opening of the first rounds of negotiations on Moldova’s accession to the EU. “We have reaffirmed the privileged nature of the relationship between Romania and the Republic of Moldova and our commitment to continuing the development of joint projects, particularly in the economic, energy and transport sectors. These projects contribute to strengthening the resilience and prosperity of both countries and the entire region,’ Nicușor Dan added.
The two officials welcomed the recent signing of the agreement for the construction of the new bridge at Ungheni, which will form part of the future link to the A8 motorway, as well as the contract for work on Section 4 of the latter. Furthermore, Nicușor Dan emphasised the support that Bucharest was providing to Chișinău with regard to strengthening resilience and security. In this context, a key focus of the discussions was the complex security situation in the region, caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences for neighbouring states.
Prime Minister Vasile Tofan expressed his gratitude for the constant and unconditional support provided by Romania. “I must say from the outset that I am coming home, I am Romanian, and I fully intend to contribute to strengthening this strategic – but, first and foremost, fraternal – relationship between our countries,” the official from Chișinău added. He was also received by the acting Romanian Prime Minister, Ilie Bolojan, who, for his part, stated that Romania would remain Chișinău’s main supporter in the process of accession to the European Union, offering the experience it had gained as a Member State and its political and diplomatic support.
During the meeting, the two officials reviewed the progress of joint projects and ways of accelerating them, with a focus on those in the transport and energy sectors, which are intended to help ensure better interconnection between the two banks of the Prut. They discussed the construction of two new 400-kilovolt interconnection lines, Suceava–Bălți and Gutinaș–Strășeni, and, in the field of infrastructure, port and rail interconnection projects. The Moldovan official stated that he did not want economic relations to be limited solely to trade and exports. “We want more Romanian investment in the Republic of Moldova, companies that produce together, shared value chains, and industrial, technological and energy projects,” Vasile Tofan emphasised.
The President of the Senate, Mircea Abrudean, stated after his meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova that the two countries enjoy a solid and consistent partnership, particularly in key areas of development for both nations – energy, infrastructure and digitalisation. Vasile Tofan also met with the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Sorin Grindeanu, with whom he discussed the harmonisation of the Republic of Moldova’s legislation with European Union regulations. (MI)
