Moldovan President held farewell meeting with Slovak Ambassador

President Maia Sandu received Ambassador of the Slovak Republic Pavol Ivan at the end of his mandate in the Republic of Moldova and thanked him for his contribution to bringing the two countries closer together. In recent years, political dialogue between Chișinău and Bratislava has intensified. This included former President Zuzana Čaputová’s visit to Chișinău and President Maia Sandu’s first official visit to Slovakia in March, at the invitation of President Peter Pellegrini. This year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Robert Kaliňák and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanár also visited our country.

The strengthening of dialogue has translated into concrete results for citizens. The social security agreement, signed during the visit to Bratislava, entered into force on October 1. Thus, citizens who have worked in both countries can combine their insurance periods when their pensions are established. At the same time, through the SlovakAid programme, Slovakia supported projects in several localities across the country. These include the modernization of the State Labour Inspectorate, energy efficiency improvements at the secondary schools in Hăsnășenii Mari and Inești, and support for berry producers in Nisporeni and Gagauzia.

The President also thanked Slovakia for the solidarity it demonstrated during the difficult moments this spring. When the Dniester River was polluted after Russia bombed the Novodnistrovsk hydroelectric power plant, Slovakia sent the equipment and materials needed for the response. A few weeks later, Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure put Moldova’s main electricity line out of service. At that time, the Slovak grid operator facilitated cross-border electricity flows.

The officials also discussed the country’s European path. The President expressed her gratitude for the support provided by Slovakia so far and emphasized that Slovakia’s experience in the accession process and the expertise offered by Bratislava are useful to us during the negotiation stage. The Head of State noted that the Republic of Moldova continues to count on Slovakia’s support.