VIDEO // PMs of Moldova, Romania discuss advancing bilateral cooperation: strategic infrastructure, energy projects prioritized

Moldova and Romania will accelerate road and energy infrastructure projects, facilitate Romanian investments boost cooperation on the country’s European integration. The topics in Chisinau today were discussed by Prime Ministers Vasile Tofan and Luca Niculescu, who made his first foreign visit as Romania’s prime minister. During a joint news conference, the two officials highlighted the importance of joint projects for the economic development and security of both states.





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Vasile Tofan said that Moldova wanted better connectivity with Romania through the construction of bridges over the Prut River, the modernization of roads and the development of border crossing points. Priorities include accelerating infrastructure projects in Ungheni, including access roads and border infrastructure, as well as advancing coordinated control at the Cantemir–Falciu crossing point.

„First and foremost, we want to be better connected. More bridges over the Prut, better roads and more border crossing points that are faster. This is especially important now, during the export season for vegetables and fruits produced by Moldova’s farmers, so that people and goods can move more quickly and easily,” the prime minister of Moldova said.





Energy security is another priority area. Vasile Tofan emphasized Romania’s role in ensuring Moldova’s energy supply and noted the need to accelerate electricity interconnection projects, including the Balti–Suceava line. At the same time, the prime minister said that, starting with the next cold season, Moldova would also be able to rely on natural gas from the Neptun Deep field in the Black Sea.

„Romania has played an essential role in supplying Moldova with energy. We are now building the infrastructure that will provide us with greater security in the long term. We discussed speeding up electricity interconnections, including the Balti–Suceava line, and starting with the next cold season, we will also be able to rely on gas from Neptun Deep in the Black Sea,” Vasile Tofan said.

The prime minister also advocated increasing Romanian investment in Moldova, particularly in industry, energy, technology and infrastructure. According to him, the country could also become a platform for companies interested in participating in the future reconstruction of Ukraine.

For his part, Romanian Prime Minister Luca Niculescu said that a significant part of the discussions in Chisinau had focused on advancing joint strategic projects, especially in transport and energy.

„A significant part of our discussions today focused on the rapid advancement of the strategic projects on our common agenda. Obviously, I want us to give fresh impetus to the sectoral agenda, in order to achieve the most concrete results possible, because that is what our citizens expect as well. We discussed in detail the status of interconnection projects in the fields of transport and energy. These are two essential areas for the resilience of Moldova and for its connection to the European Union through Romania,” Luca Niculescu said.

The Romanian prime minister noted that the Chisinau Power Station, which is included in the official programme, represented an important element in strengthening the energy independence of Moldova.

„We know that, for a long time and far too often, energy has been used as an element, as a weapon of geopolitical blackmail. Therefore, we will continue to support, for the benefit of citizens, the expansion of this energy independence,” the Romanian official said.

Luca Niculescu also highlighted the economic dimension of the bilateral relations. According to him, the trade between the two countries amounted to approximately 4.5 billion euros last year, while Romanian investments contributed to the creation of around 12,000 jobs in Moldova.





„I am also pleased by the openness you have shown in welcoming even more Romanian companies here and in overcoming any potential bureaucratic or administrative barriers that may arise,” the Romanian prime minister said.

The European integration of Moldova was another central topic of the meeting. Vasile Tofan emphasized that the primary responsibility for advancing the accession process lied with the Moldovan authorities, which must demonstrate through results that the country is ready for the next stages. At the same time, the prime minister highlighted the importance of Romania’s political support at the European level.

„We must do our homework and demonstrate through results that Moldova is ready for accession. But European integration is also a political process. That is why, we need the progress we are making in Chisinau to be translated into political decisions at the highest level. And here we rely heavily on Romania,” Vasile Tofan said.

Luca Niculescu reaffirmed Romania’s support for Moldova’s European path and said that Bucharest supports opening the final two negotiation clusters by the end of 2026.

„The place of Moldova, the place of Chișinău, is undoubtedly in the European Union. I congratulated you, and I congratulate you, on the results achieved, which are fully deserved, and I would like to state very firmly that we strongly support the opening of the remaining two clusters by the end of this year for accession to the European Union,” the Romanian prime minister said.

He added that Romania would continue to provide technical expertise to Moldova, including through the involvement of Romanian experts in the process of aligning national legislation with the acquis communautaire.

The two prime ministers also discussed the security situation in the region, in the context of the war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Vasile Tofan said that the security of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine was closely interconnected and condemned violations of airspace, as well as attacks on vessels in the Black Sea.

„The security of Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine is closely interconnected, while peace and stability in our region are a shared responsibility,” the Moldovan prime minister said. He emphasized the need to strengthen the capacity to respond to security threats and to continue supporting Ukraine.

For his part, Luca Niculescu said that Romania’s support also concerned the security of the citizens of Moldova amid regional threats.

Luca Niculescu’s first foreign trip since taking office as Romania’s prime minister took place in Chisinau, one week after the beginning of his term. At the end of the news conference, the Romanian prime minister invited Vasile Tofan to Bucharest to continue the bilateral dialogue.