Moldova, India strengthen bilateral relations, expand cooperation in strategic sectors; Indian President: “Together we will build an even stronger, future-oriented partnership

Moldova and India are strengthening their bilateral relations and aim to expand cooperation in strategic sectors, such as trade, investment, renewable energy, education, healthcare, the pharmaceutical industry and emerging technologies. President Maia Sandu and President of India Droupadi Murmu today made statements to this effect, at their joint news conference held in Chisinau.

President Maia Sandu said that the visit marked an important moment for the Moldovan–Indian relations.

“Today is a special day for Moldova. For the first time since the establishment of our diplomatic relations 34 years ago, a head of state of India is visiting our country. Mrs. President, welcome to Moldova! Your visit is an honor for us and a sign of respect for our country and for our citizens. India is the world’s largest democracy – a country of more than 1.4 billion people – and one of the largest and most dynamic economies in the world. In recent years, the political dialogue between our countries has gained momentum. In 2024, after 21 years, we resumed our bilateral political consultations and inaugurated the Embassy of Moldova in New Delhi. Concrete steps followed: India opened its market to Moldovan apples, and Moldova joined the International Solar Alliance – a global initiative launched by India together with France,” Maia Sandu said.

The head of state emphasized that Moldova wanted its partnership with India to produce concrete results for citizens and for the business community.

“Today, we reviewed the entire spectrum of our bilateral relations and discussed new areas of cooperation. We want this relationship to bring concrete results for our people – in trade, in investment, in energy, in education and healthcare. First of all, we want to expand trade. We want more and more Moldovan agri-food products to reach the Indian market. Today, we will jointly open the Moldova–India Business Forum, which aims to create direct links between businesspeople and companies from both countries. The timing is favorable. Moldova is negotiating accession to the European Union and our goal is to be ready to join by the end of this decade. At the same time, India and the European Union have concluded a free trade agreement, which brings the two markets closer together for the benefit of two billion people. For Indian companies looking towards Europe, Moldova can become a gateway, and for us this would mean investments and jobs,” Maia Sandu also said.

Another important area of cooperation is energy. Maia Sandu noted that an Indian company had built the Vulcanesti–Chisinau overhead power line, a strategic project for the energy security of Moldova, which is at the final stages of testing and commissioning.

For her part, President of India Droupadi Murmu said that her visit to Moldova represented a historic moment for the relations between the two countries and reflected the development of friendship and mutual trust.

“India and Moldova have had warm and friendly relations for more than three decades and, even though our countries are geographically distant, our friendship has continued to grow through regular political dialogue, development partnerships, exchanges and international cooperation,” Droupadi Murmu said.

The President of India underlined that the two countries had agreed to strengthen cooperation in more areas of common interest, including medicine, renewable energy, the pharmaceutical industry, information technology, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies.

“Economic cooperation stays a very important pillar of our partnership. We have agreed to promote trade, to strengthen the resilience of supply chains and to encourage closer engagement between our business communities. The Moldova–India Business Forum, which is taking place today, will help further energize trade ties between our countries,” Droupadi Murmu said.

The education and capacity building also represent one of the priority areas of the bilateral cooperation. At present, around 1,400 Indian students are studying in Moldova, most of them at the Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

“Education and capacity building have always been among the strongest pillars of our relations. We have agreed to expand academic exchanges, as well as institutional partnerships between our universities. India is also pleased to double the number of places for special courses and scholarships for professionals from Moldova,” the President of India said.

According to Maia Sandu, negotiations on a new cooperation agreement in the field of higher education have been concluded and the document is to be signed soon.

The two states also aim to develop cooperation in the field of emerging technologies. Diplomats from Moldova will be invited to attend courses and seminars in India, focused on artificial intelligence and cyber diplomacy.

Droupadi Murmu also invited the head of state to pay a visit to India.

During their talks, the two presidents exchanged opinions on regional and global developments and reaffirmed their commitment to peace and respect for international law.

“India has always supported the earliest possible settlement of all conflicts, but only through dialogue and diplomacy. We have always been on the side of peace,” the President of India said.

At the end of the conference, Droupadi Murmu expressed confidence that the relations between the two countries would continue to develop.

“I am fully confident that together we will continue to build an even stronger, future-oriented partnership, beneficial to both sides, and to strengthen ever-closer ties between India and Moldova,” the President of India concluded.

The relations between Moldova and India have witnessed positive developments in recent years. In October 2024, in New Delhi, bilateral political consultations between the two countries were resumed after 21 years. In December 2024,  Moldova inaugurated its Embassy in New Delhi, and in February 2025, India opened its market to Moldovan apples.

Another important element of the bilateral relations is cooperation in the field of education. More than 1,400 students from India are studying at universities of Moldova, most of them at the Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

India, with a population of over 1.4 billion inhabitants, is one of the world’s largest economies and one of the most dynamic major economies. This country represents a strategic partner of growing importance for Moldova.