Estonia strengthens diplomatic presence in Moldova; Embassy in Chisinau to be inaugurated by foreign affairs ministers

Estonia is strengthening its diplomatic presence in Moldova by opening a permanent diplomatic mission in Chisinau. Moldova’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mihai Popsoi and Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna today made statements to this effect at a joint news conference.

The head of Moldova’s diplomacy said that the opening of the diplomatic mission came at an important moment for the bilateral relations and thanked his Estonian counterpart for the decision to open the embassy in Chisinau.

“It is a great pleasure and honor to host you here in Chisinau. We are at a historic moment for the bilateral relations, with the opening of the permanent mission of the Embassy of Estonia. I would like to thank you for the decision made, for the promise given and for the honor that we are going to celebrate together today,” Mihai Popsoi said.

The minister emphasized that the relations between Moldova and Estonia are close and friendly, also due to their shared understanding of historical difficulties and the current security context.

“The relationship between our countries is as close and friendly as possible, because Estonians understand us, given the historical difficulties we have faced and the complicated period we are all going through, in the context of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine,” Popsoi said.

According to the minister, Estonia is an important partner for Moldova in the process of joining the European Union, including through development assistance and technical support provided to the Moldovan authorities.

“Estonia has always stood by us and the resilience we have built in recent years is also the result of the close relationship we have with our Estonian partners,” the minister stated.

Mihai Popsoi noted that Estonia had implemented hundreds of projects in Moldova, and that, as part of bilateral cooperation, officials would visit the municipality of Balti, to see the results of projects supported by the Estonian side.

The Moldovan foreign affairs minister also referred to the prospects of the European Union accession process, stating that, thanks to the reforms carried out and the support of European partners, Moldova can make progress in opening and subsequently closing the negotiation chapters.

“Thanks to the support of our partners in the European Union and thanks to the efforts and reforms we are undertaking, we firmly believe that, in the next two weeks, we will open all six remaining clusters in the European Union accession process, so that shortly we can also begin thinking and acting toward closing some of the chapters,” Mihai Popsoi declared.

The official also said that the two countries cooperate in the economic field and urged Estonian businesspeople to invest in Moldova.

“I called on my good friend Margus to encourage Estonia’s business community to enter the Moldovan market, especially during this favorable pre-accession period,” Popsoi said.

The minister also highlighted the need to develop connections between the two countries, including a direct air connection, which, in his view, would contribute to strengthening the bilateral relations.

For his part, Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna said that  Moldova is a priority country for Estonia in terms of bilateral cooperation.

“Moldova is a priority country for us from a cooperation perspective. I believe I am the happiest foreign minister, because I will have the opportunity to inaugurate the Embassy of Estonia in Moldova. We are quite pleased to be here together to honor this event,” Margus Tsahkna said.

According to the Estonian official, the embassy is “a symbol of our shared commitment” and reflects the importance Estonia attaches to its relations with  Moldova.

Margus Tsahkna also praised the reforms promoted by the Moldovan authorities, as   part of the country’s rapprochement with the European Union.

“It is absolutely remarkable how your government and you personally are promoting these reforms, bringing Moldova closer to the European Union,” the Estonian minister said.

He said that Moldova had taken the necessary steps to open the next negotiation chapters and that the European Union would make efforts to accelerate the accession process.

The Estonian minister also spoke about developing relations between the citizens of the two countries, including in the cultural and educational fields, expressing hope that people would travel more between Estonia and Moldova.

The Estonian official congratulated Moldova on its progress and said that the country was going through a historic moment.

“Once again, I congratulate you on all the progress achieved, and I can tell you that Moldova is now going through a historic moment. We very much hope that we will enjoy lasting peace and prosperity in the future,” the Estonian foreign affairs minister concluded.

Estonia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Margus Tsahkna is paying an official visit to Moldova on October 5–6, during which he had meetings with President Maia Sandu, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Mihai Popsoi and other officials.

The diplomatic relations between Estonia and Moldova were established on November 10, 1992.