Moldova’s foreign minister: Union with Romania has effectively begun

Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi said that joint roads, bridges over the Prut and energy links are already bringing the two countries closer. He did not give a timeline for political unification.

The process of unifying Moldova and Romania has effectively already begun, Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi said in an interview with Romanian television channel TVR. He said this was happening through the construction of joint roads and bridges and the interconnection of the two countries’ energy systems.

“It should be understood that this is already happening. The Unification Highway is being built, bridges will be constructed over the Prut, and energy links and other infrastructure projects are pragmatically bringing the two banks of the Prut closer together,” the foreign minister said.

Triumphal Arch and Government House in Chișinău

Popșoi believes that joint infrastructure projects bring the two states closer together faster than years of political discussions. At the same time, he acknowledged that he could not give a timeline for possible political unification and stressed that such a decision should be made democratically, with broad support from citizens on both sides of the border.

The minister said interest in the idea of unification remains in Moldovan society, but polls have not yet shown that its supporters form a majority. Popșoi previously said that he would vote for unification in a referendum. President Maia Sandu has also acknowledged that there is currently insufficient support for such a step in the country.

The idea of unification is causing deep divisions within Moldova. The opposition opposes the possible loss of sovereignty, while former President Igor Dodon has called support for unification a betrayal of national interests.