Moldovan president: "We have built a friendship with Italy that brings real benefits to our people. Let us take care to preserve what we have achieved"

"We have built a friendship with Italy that brings real benefits to our people. Let us take care to preserve what we have achieved." President Maia Sandu has made the statement, during a visit to Italy, where she had more meetings with the country's leadership and with Pope Leo XIV.

"In the 2000s, many Moldovans were forced to leave home. Most of them ended up in Italy and settled here with difficulty. For a long time, they could not return to Moldova to see their families, because they did not have documents. Today, in Italy, we have the largest community of Moldovans, and our people are respected for working honestly and integrating nicely," said the head of state.

Maia Sandu emphasized that, until 2021, the dialogue between the governments of Moldova and Italy had been almost non-existent, but in the last four years, cooperation had boosted significantly.

"We have had visits and discussions at the level of presidents, meetings with the prime minister, and support on behalf of Italian local authorities. All these have allowed us to sign a new pension agreement - a document that Italy has only with Albania and Moldova - and improve the agreement on the recognition of driver's licenses," said the Moldovan president.

The head of state also highlighted the financial support received from Italy, including to compensate for energy price increases, as well as Rome's constant support for Moldova’s European path.

"We have gained the trust and friendship of Italy thanks to our joint efforts. It is our responsibility to take care and preserve what we have built," Maia Sandu emphasized.

President Maia Sandu paid a working visit to Italy and the Holy See in this weekend. In Rome, the head of state met President of the Italian Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, and had a meeting with President of the Senate Ignazio La Russa.

At the Holy See, President Maia Sandu was received in audience by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. At the same time, the head of state had a meeting with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

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