Moldova, Romania strengthen cooperation in infrastructure: joint projects to be accelerated

The priority areas of cooperation between Moldova and Romania in the field of infrastructure, aimed at accelerating the implementation of joint road and railway infrastructure projects and creating better conditions for the movement of goods and passengers between the two countries have been discussed at a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Bolea and the Secretary of State of the Romanian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Irinel Ionel Scriosteanu.

The discussions focused on a new approach to Moldovan-Romanian cooperation in transport infrastructure, emphasizing joint projects that strengthen connectivity between the two states and bring Moldova closer to the European transport network.

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Vladimir Bolea said that the authorities’ goal was the full integration of Moldova into the European transport corridors, which would stimulate exports and the country’s economic development.

“In recent years, we have managed to build a constant and genuine openness in Moldovan-Romanian relations in the field of infrastructure. In the coming years, we want to turn this openness into concrete projects with visible results for people and for the economy. Our goal is to fully integrate Moldova into the European transport corridors and thus stimulate exports and the country’s economic development,” the deputy PM said.

As for the railway infrastructure, the officials discussed opening traffic on the Cantemir–Falciu section, as well as preparing the reopening of the Cahul–Galati  line along the Prut River, meant mainly for freight traffic. They also examined the possibility of launching a passenger train on the Cahul–Galati route, which would increase the accessibility of Moldova’s southern region to Romania’s railway network.

The discussions also covered the start of works on the first electrified railway section on the Iasi–Ungheni segment and the support of the Romanian authorities for preparing the feasibility study for the construction of the European-gauge railway line from Ungheni to Chisinau.

In the field of road infrastructure, the talks addressed progress on the Ungheni–Ungheni Bridge, the first motorway-level bridge across the Prut River between Moldova and Romania, as well as its commissioning in the autumn of 2026. The parties also discussed the development of border infrastructure, focusing on a joint strategy for modernizing the border crossing points between Moldova and Romania and on the related transport infrastructure, in order to streamline traffic and reduce waiting times.

On inland waterway transport, the participants discussed boosting the cooperation, in order to deepen the navigable channel of the Prut River, so as to create conditions for the revival of freight river transport and to capitalize on the logistics potential of the riparian regions.

The discussions also concerned Romania’s support for the integration of Moldova into European initiatives for financing and securing transport infrastructure, such as the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument, which will help facilitate Moldova’s connections with the European area and strengthen regional connectivity.