New Delhi: The president, Droupadi Murmu, arrived in the Moldovian capital, Chisinau, on Monday morning on the first leg of a three-nation European tour. This is the first-ever visit by an Indian head of state to Moldova since the two countries established diplomatic relations in March 1992.
Murmu was received at Chisinau International Airport by Moldova’s deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Mihai Popsoi. She then proceeded to the Presidential Palace, where she was accorded a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour by the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu.
The two leaders subsequently held delegation-level talks covering what officials described as the full range of bilateral cooperation. The Ministry of External Affairs’ secretary (west), Sibi George, was among those present on the Indian side.
Addressing a joint news conference afterwards, Murmu said the visit reflected “growing friendship and mutual trust” between the two nations, adding that the partnership had continued to strengthen over three decades despite the geographical distance separating them. The two sides agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment and supply chains, and to work on improving connectivity, she said.
Education and skilling featured prominently in the discussions. India will double the number of Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation training slots available to Moldovan professionals, including specialized courses in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, while Moldovan diplomats have been invited to attend cyber diplomacy programmes at India’s Foreign Service Institute.
Murmu also said cooperation under the International Solar Alliance was progressing and expressed hope that Moldova would join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Global Biofuels Alliance.
On regional and global developments, Murmu reiterated India’s position that disputes ought to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, and said the two leaders had reaffirmed a shared commitment to peace and respect for international law.
Sandu, for her part, described the visit as an honour for Moldova and framed the relationship in terms of shared democratic values. “We are two democracies – a very large one and a small one – but united through the same values: freedom, dignity and work for the benefit of the people,” she said, adding that Moldova regarded India as a trustworthy partner amid growing global instability.
Sandu also pointed to the roughly 1,400 Indian students currently enrolled at Moldovan universities, the largest number at the country’s medical university, and said the two sides had concluded negotiations on a new higher education cooperation agreement due to be signed shortly. She indicated Moldova was keen to draw on India’s experience in affordable drug manufacturing and to attract Indian pharmaceutical investment. Murmu, in turn, gifted Sandu a bust of Mahatma Gandhi.
As RNA Media reported earlier, Moldova leg is the first stop of a week-long tour that will take Murmu to North Macedonia and then to Romania, where she will address the India-Romania Business Forum and meet the Indian community – the first state visit by an Indian president to Romania in more than three decades.
For India, the outreach carries wider strategic weight. Moldova, a European Union candidate country wedged between Romania and Ukraine, has been navigating the fallout of the war on its border while pursuing EU accession. New Delhi’s engagement with Chisinau – and with North Macedonia, another EU hopeful – comes as India seeks to broaden its footprint in Central and Eastern Europe alongside its long-standing Western European partnerships.
This also comes ahead of the anticipated conclusion of the India-EU free trade agreement, which officials have said could further underpin the country’s economic ties across the continent.