Mateusz Morawiecki began his visit by meeting Moldova’s Prime Minister Dorin Recean, and was also due to hold talks with President Maia Sandu, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
The Polish and Moldovan leaders were set to focus their discussions on “multi-faceted support for the Republic of Moldova amid the Russian aggression on Ukrainian territory,” which “directly affects the Moldovan capital Chișinău,” officials said.
The talks were also expected to touch upon bilateral cooperation, including joint Polish-Moldovan economic and financial projects, reporters were told.
Moreover, Morawiecki was expected to detail Poland's support for the acceleration of Moldova's integration with the European Union, according to officials.
Later in the day, the Polish prime minister was scheduled to meet with Moldova’s Polish community at the embassy in Chișinău.
He was also due to lay flowers at a plaque commemorating the late Polish President Lech Kaczyński in the Moldovan capital’s Polish Library, the IAR news agency reported.
In April last year, Morawiecki and his Moldovan counterpart at the time, Natalia Gavrilița, met in Warsaw to discuss joint projects to support Moldova’s transformation, the state of the country’s public finances, as well as energy security and cyber security, according to officials.
Ahead of Morawiecki's visit on Thursday, Moldova’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration Stela Leuca said: “After receiving the status of a candidate country to join the EU in 2022, we have realised that we are welcome in the EU space and we appreciate it.”
Speaking to Poland's PAP news agency, Leuca added: “We are also aware of the fact that we have to do our homework to become part of this organisation, and to adjust our values to European values.”
Threat from Russia
Not being a member of the EU and NATO, Moldova is among the countries most vulnerable to Russian aggression, the IAR news agency reported.
Moldova borders the Russian-controlled breakaway region of Transnistria, where Russia has stationed its troops, whom it calls “peacekeeping forces,” according to news outlets.
Moreover, Moldova is home to a Russian minority that has recently taken part in pro-Russia, Kremlin-steered protests, the IAR news agency reported.
Thursday is day 407 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl, polskieradio24.pl