The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, held a telephone conversation yesterday with his Moldovan counterpart, Nicu Popescu, to whom he pledged to strengthen diplomatic representation in Chisinau by opening, “in the coming weeks”, a “permanent presence”.
“I have conveyed to the Foreign Minister of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, the support and solidarity of Spain and we have exchanged impressions on the situation in his country,” Albares declared through his Twitter account, in the midst of rising tension in Moldova over the possibility that Russia may try to extend its offensive in Ukraine towards the Moldovan separatist region of Transnistria. The European Union has conveyed its “solidarity” to Chisinau and reaffirmed its “unwavering support” for Moldova’s “sovereignty and integrity.”
“We will strengthen our diplomatic representation in Moldova in the coming weeks with a permanent presence,” Albares added. Spain has no Embassy in Chisinau and exercises its representation in Moldova from the Embassy in Bucharest. On the other hand, Moldova has had an Embassy in Madrid since July 2010.
For his part, Popescu assured on his Twitter account that “Moldova’s security situation remains fragile and international attention helps us to remain resilient”. Therefore, he said he was “grateful for Spain’s solidarity in the current humanitarian crisis and support for our territorial integrity, as well as for EU accession”.
The conversation between Albares and Popescu took place after the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, cancelled a visit to this country and Poland due to the uncertainty about the outcome of the vote on the decree-law with measures to deal with the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. Sanchez was scheduled to arrive this past Thursday in Moldova, where he planned to meet with the president, Maia Sandu, and the country’s prime minister, Natalia Gavrilita, and to visit a reception center for Ukrainian refugees. The two parties are looking for dates for the trip, according to Moncloa sources.
Moldova and Poland are two of the countries that have received the most Ukrainian refugees since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began last February 24. According to UNHCR data, Moldova has received more than 433,000 Ukrainians. José Manuel Albares announced in mid-March, during his visit to both countries, that Spain would take in a thousand Ukrainian refugees arriving in Moldova and would send 30 tons of humanitarian aid to this country.
