Mihai Popșoi hails two years in office: “Moldova is now a respected state with unprecedented international openness”
The Republic of Moldova is now a respected state with a remarkable level of international openness. Despite its limited resources, the authorities consistently provide assistance to citizens in need, with strengthening the country's European path remaining a central objective. These statements were made by Mihai Popșoi, the acting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, during the presentation of his activity report to the government led by Dorin Recean on Friday, October 24.
According to the official, it was an intense period, marked by challenges, but also by achievements, in which work was done to promote "the national interests of our country and to bring the Republic of Moldova closer to the great European family".
The Republic of Moldova is the first country to sign a security and defense partnership with the EU, in Brussels, in May 2024, an achievement that honors and responsibilities both.
Speaking about the support provided to Moldovan citizens, wherever they are, Mihai Popșoi mentioned, among the main achievements, the opening of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Astana – a strategic step to strengthen relations with Kazakhstan and the Central Asian region.
He also highlighted the opening of the consulates general in Chicago and Sacramento: *"Our citizens in the US have waited for decades for the Republic of Moldova to be closer to them and no longer have to travel hundreds or thousands of kilometers to receive consular services."
The Deputy Prime Minister also mentioned the inauguration of the Embassy in India, emphasizing that it is a project of major importance for promoting economic and cultural exchanges, as well as for increasing the international visibility of the Republic of Moldova.
"The first results of this diplomatic approach are already reflected in the exports of apples from the Republic of Moldova to the Indian market, a country with the largest population in the world and an unparalleled export absorption capacity," stressed Mihai Popșoi.
Economic, cultural and tourist exchanges were also strengthened by the Agreement on the abolition of the visa regime with the United Arab Emirates, which entered into force on September 4 this year.
"The United Arab Emirates is a point of attraction for global investments and an important source of potential investors in the region," said the head of diplomacy from Chișinău.
The list of achievements also includes the expansion of partners' diplomatic presence in the Republic of Moldova. Popșoi highlighted the inauguration of the Israeli Embassy in Chișinău and the planned opening of the Irish Embassy by the end of this year.
"The opening of the offices of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway and the Embassy of Spain in Chisinau strengthens bilateral relations and facilitates cooperation in the economic, cultural, political and security fields. These initiatives reflect our firm commitment to building a robust diplomatic network that serves national interests and meets the needs of our citizens," the Deputy Prime Minister noted.
In terms of consolidating the legal basis, the official noted the conclusion of 59 bilateral treaties and 67 multilateral treaties, as well as the initiation of negotiations for another 24 bilateral treaties and 27 multilateral treaties.
“Together with colleagues from diplomatic missions, we contributed to the signing of social protection treaties with Italy, France, Switzerland and Latvia, which ensure social rights, pensions and allowances for Moldovan citizens working and living in these countries,” Popșoi mentioned, also highlighting the driving license conversion treaties signed with the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Israel and Latvia.
Pointing out the main achievements in the cybersecurity dimension, Popșoi highlighted the signing of a technical assistance project, worth 3.1 million dollars, which will increase institutional resilience and crisis response capacity: “In this way, I would like to thank both my colleagues from the MFA, as well as our partners from the Nordic and Baltic countries, but also Germany, which will shortly provide us with encrypted communication equipment to further strengthen everything that cybersecurity and institutional resilience mean”.
The official also highlighted the launch of the E-Consulate platform, implemented in a pilot phase in ten diplomatic missions, which allows online requests for documents and appointments for visits. So far, 43 diplomatic and consular missions have been equipped with biometric data collection equipment, facilitating the issuance of identity documents directly abroad. The modernization of the e-Visa platform allowed the processing of over 37,000 visa applications in 2025, of which almost 34,000 were electronic visas.
During his mandate, Mihai Popșoi had 64 bilateral meetings with foreign ministers from around the world and made 40 foreign visits, including the first visits in the history of the Republic of Moldova to Saudi Arabia (November 2024) and Nepal (March 2025). He also hosted over 30 official visits to Chișinău.
"Saudi Arabia has enormous investment potential, and Nepal, perhaps some do not know, is the country of origin of one of the main investors in the Republic of Moldova in the field of mobile telephony. We intend to explore all opportunities to attract investments in the Republic of Moldova and to promote our exports to countries around the world".
After 634 days at the helm of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mihai Popșoi says he looks back with satisfaction on the achievements of his almost two years in office.
We recall that, in the parliamentary elections of September 28, Mihai Popșoi obtained the mandate of deputy on the lists of the Action and Solidarity Party. According to public statements, also confirmed by PAS vice-president Vladimir Bolea, in a TV show, Mihai Popșoi will keep his portfolio in the new Government, which, according to the authorities, is expected to be inaugurated by the end of next week, after President Maia Sandu designated Alexandru Munteanu as the candidate for the position of prime minister.
Deputies must renounce their mandate or incompatible positions, including that of minister, within 30 days of the validation of the mandate.
