The process of rapprochement between Moldova and Romania has effectively already begun thanks to the implementation of joint transport and energy projects, although the question of political unification of the two states remains open. This was stated by Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mihai Popșoi in an interview with Romanian television channel TVR Info on November 6, 2026.
According to the minister, the construction of a motorway, new bridges across the Prut River, and energy interconnections is gradually creating conditions for closer economic integration between the two countries.
“It is already happening,” Popșoi said in response to a journalist’s question about the prospects for the unification of Moldova and Romania.
The minister identified the A8 motorway, known as the “Union Motorway” (Autostrada Unirii), as one of the key infrastructure projects. It is intended to connect Romania’s transport network to the Moldovan border near Ungheni.
Popșoi also drew attention to the construction of new bridges across the Prut River, which separates Moldova and Romania.
According to him, no new bridge had been built across the river for approximately 60 years, whereas a crossing is now under construction near Ungheni and other projects are being developed.
Another area of cooperation is the integration of energy infrastructure. The development of cross-border electricity interconnections is expected to improve the reliability of energy supply and expand opportunities for electricity exchange between the countries.
The head of Moldova’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that practical economic projects may prove to be a more effective instrument for bringing the two states closer together than political discussions about unification, which have continued for several decades.
At the same time, the minister acknowledged that he could not specify a timeframe for the possible political unification of Moldova and Romania.
He stressed that such a decision must be made democratically and transparently, with broad public support on both sides of the Prut River.
Popșoi also confirmed that, according to opinion polls, there is currently no majority of the population in Moldova supporting unification with Romania.
Moldova gained independence in 1991 following the collapse of the USSR. Romania has been a member of the European Union since 2007. The two countries maintain close historical, cultural, and economic ties, while the development of transport and energy infrastructure is regarded as one of the areas of regional integration.
Moldova obtained candidate status for accession to the European Union in June 2022 and officially began EU accession negotiations in June 2024.
ENERGY, EXPERTS CLUB, INFRASTRUCTURE, INTEGRATION, MOLDOVA, ROMANIA
Moldova is considering the possibility of introducing a visa regime for citizens of Russia, Belarus, and nine other countries as part of its preparations for accession to the European Union. These changes could be part of the mandatory alignment of Moldovan immigration legislation with European standards.
Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan made this statement during an appearance on the “Cutia Neagră” program on TV8.
“We want to continue on the European path. I’m not yet ready to name a date. If EU standards require it, I believe we must make decisions that will allow us to move forward in the process of European integration,” the head of government said.
The basis for discussing these changes was the European Commission’s annual report on Moldova’s progress toward EU membership, presented on November 4, 2026.
The document notes that Moldova’s visa policy does not yet fully comply with EU requirements. In particular, Chisinau maintains a visa-free regime with 11 countries whose citizens require visas for short-term entry into the EU.
This list includes Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu.
The European Commission recommends that Moldova continue to align its national visa legislation with European standards. Until this process is complete, Brussels proposes strengthening checks on third-country nationals who benefit from visa-free entry, particularly in cases where there are migration risks or security threats.
The report also notes that in December 2025, Moldova adopted a law denouncing the CIS agreement on visa-free travel. The European Commission views this step as a preparatory stage for further alignment of visa policy with EU legislation.
At the same time, the denunciation of the agreement does not in itself mean the automatic introduction of visas for citizens of all CIS countries.
As of November 6, 2026, citizens of Russia and Belarus can still enter Moldova without visas. Current rules allow for stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
The Moldovan government has not yet specified the exact timing of a possible change to the visa regime.
Similar measures are already being taken by other countries seeking to join the European Union. In particular, Montenegro introduced a visa regime for citizens of Russia, Belarus, China, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey effective November 1, 2026.
Albania had previously abolished its permanent visa-free regime for citizens of Belarus.
Moldova applied for membership in the European Union on March 3, 2022, received candidate country status in June of that year, and officially began accession negotiations on June 25, 2024.
In 2026, the country continued the negotiation process, opening several thematic chapters related to the internal market, competitiveness, and external relations.
The Moldovan authorities expect to conclude EU accession negotiations by early 2028, while maintaining their long-term goal of becoming a member of the EU by 2030.
Moldova’s Minister of Energy, Dorin Junghiu, stated that the country may purchase some gas from Ukraine, and negotiations are already underway.
“Moldova may purchase between 10 million and 50 million cubic meters of natural gas from Ukraine. The final volume will depend on the availability of surplus reserves and the commercial terms of the deal. Potential purchase volumes will be influenced by both existing contracts and the availability of gas for delivery to Moldova,” the minister said during a broadcast on Radio Moldova on Tuesday.
According to him, this issue was discussed last week during a government delegation’s visit to Kyiv, after which Moldova conducted a test purchase of gas, importing 2 million cubic meters.
Jungietu declined to specify a possible gas price or the formula for calculating it, so as not to influence the course of negotiations: “These are commercial negotiations, and we cannot disclose the pricing formula at this time. The purchase must be commercially advantageous for Moldova. Negotiations are ongoing; we want to secure a price below market value. That is the current situation.”
So far, the authorities have not announced the signing of a contract, the final price of the gas, or the timing of potential deliveries.
According to the Minister of Energy, in the future, Moldova will be able to cover approximately one-quarter of its daily natural gas consumption through supplies from the Romanian Neptun Deep field in the Black Sea once production begins, which is expected in late 2027.
“The gas will be purchased under a contract signed last year between Energocom and the Romanian company OMV Petrom. The volumes were made public last year. We’re talking about roughly a quarter of our daily gas consumption. The pricing formula is also based on exchange indicators but includes a discount. Of course, we cannot disclose the size of the discount, since this is not so much a matter of confidentiality as it is a matter of revealing Energocom’s procurement strategy, which is undesirable,” stated Dorin Jungietu.
According to him, another advantage of supplies from “Neptun Deep” is lower transportation costs, which could help lower rates for end consumers.
On May 7, 2025, the state-owned company Energocom signed a three-year contract with OMV Petrom to purchase natural gas from Neptun Deep.
Ukraine is asking Moldova to extend the 50% discount on transit rail freight for Ukrainian cargo through 2027, Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi said.
“Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports are intensifying. They are indeed harming our export flows and require reliable alternative routes. I thank the Moldovan government for providing Ukraine with a 50% discount on rail transit through Moldovan territory,” Koretsky said at a joint briefing with Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan on Monday in Kyiv, as reported by an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent.
According to him, over the past eight months, the volume of cargo transported through Moldova has increased significantly, and the volume of transit traffic has tripled.
“We have requested that these conditions be extended into 2027 in order to ensure predictable export flows for both Ukraine and Moldova. I believe this is mutually beneficial—it provides additional revenue for Moldova and further diversification for Ukraine,” stated the head of the Ukrainian government.
Koretsky also noted that, to increase transit volumes, it is proposed to use Ukrainian locomotives and crews on the Ocnita-Beresti section.
“We are also ready to share all the experience of the Ukrainian railway gained during the full-scale invasion—the speed of recovery, response times, repairs, and so on,” he added.
In addition, the countries intend to strengthen security at border crossing points.
“I welcome Moldova’s readiness to launch joint control at two more border crossing points: the temporary Yampil-Coseuți bridge is beneficial to both countries. The main work is expected to be completed by the end of the year,” the prime minister announced.
For his part, the Moldovan prime minister noted that the countries are actively working on developing road and rail corridors—the “European Solidarity Routes”—modernizing border crossing points, and expanding joint border control. “This opens up new opportunities for trade, investment, and the reconstruction of Ukraine,” he emphasized.
The parties are also discussing the situation on the Dniester River, specifically better coordination of water release, taking into account inflow volumes and the water needs of downstream communities.
As previously reported, in August, Ukraine reached an agreement with Moldova on a 50% discount on the transit of Ukrainian cargo by rail through Moldova until the end of 2026.
Romanian Prime Minister Luca Niculescu stated that a possible unification of Romania and the Republic of Moldova depends on the will of the citizens of both countries; however, Bucharest’s current priority remains strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and supporting Moldova’s accession to the European Union. The head of the Romanian government made these remarks on October 27, 2026, in an interview with TVR Moldova during an official visit to Chisinau.
“This will happen when the citizens of both countries want it,” Niculescu said, responding to a question about the prospects for unification.
According to him, there are close historical, cultural, and economic ties between Romania and Moldova, which is why the issue of a possible unification remains a topic of public debate.
At the same time, the prime minister emphasized that the Romanian government is currently focused on further bringing the two countries closer together and accelerating Moldova’s European integration.
Niculescu made his first foreign visit after taking office as Prime Minister of Romania to Chisinau, where he held talks with his Moldovan counterpart, Vasile Tofan, and President Maia Sandu.
During the talks, the parties paid particular attention to expanding trade and economic cooperation, developing energy infrastructure and transportation links, and attracting Romanian investment.
According to Niculescu, trade between Romania and Moldova reached approximately €4.5 billion in 2025. Romanian investments have created about 12,000 jobs in Moldova.
The development of transport corridors across the Prut River remains one of the priorities of bilateral cooperation. The parties discussed accelerating the construction of a bridge in the Ungheni area, modernizing border infrastructure, and organizing joint control at the Cantemir–Fălciu crossing.
In the energy sector, discussions focused on expanding electrical interconnections between the two countries, including the construction of the Bălți–Suceava power line.
In addition, Moldova is interested in purchasing natural gas to be produced on the Romanian Black Sea shelf as part of the Neptun Deep project once it becomes operational.
During the visit, the prime ministers also reviewed the progress of the Chisinau substation modernization project, which is part of the new 157-km Vulcanesti–Chisinau power transmission line.
The new energy infrastructure is expected to strengthen Moldova’s independence from electricity supplies via the Transnistrian region and expand opportunities for imports from the European market.
The parties paid special attention to the participation of Romanian businesses in the Moldovan economy. Industry, energy, technology, and transportation infrastructure were cited as promising areas.
Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan also proposed viewing the country as a platform for Romanian companies to participate in Ukraine’s reconstruction projects.
The issue of regional security was another key topic of the talks against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Tofan stated that the security of Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania is closely intertwined, and that Russian air attacks and airspace violations pose threats to the entire region.
According to the Moldovan prime minister, more than 100 unauthorized overflights have been recorded in the country’s airspace since the start of the full-scale war.
Niculescu confirmed Bucharest’s intention to continue supporting Moldova’s European integration, including facilitating the opening of the remaining negotiation chapters by the end of 2026.
Thus, the Romanian government views economic integration, the development of shared infrastructure, and Moldova’s accession to the EU as priority areas for cooperation. The possible political unification of the two states remains a separate issue, the resolution of which, according to Niculescu’s position, must be based on the will of their citizens.
Romania and the Republic of Moldova share a border approximately 680 km long and have close linguistic and cultural ties. Most of the territory of modern-day Moldova was part of Romania from 1918 to 1940. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Republic of Moldova declared its independence on August 27, 1991. Romania has been a member of the European Union since 2007, while Moldova was granted EU candidate status in June 2022, and official accession negotiations began in June 2024.
The total transit of grains and oilseeds from Ukraine through neighboring Moldova, Slovakia, and Hungary increased by 46.5% in September compared to August, but the bulk of the increase came from Moldova and Slovakia, Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotsky told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday.
According to his data, transit through Moldova rose by 59.7%—to 107,000 metric tons in September from 67,000 metric tons in August; through Slovakia—by 61.5%, to 336,000 metric tons from 208,000 metric tons; and through Hungary—by 8.5%, to 115,000 metric tons from 106,000 metric tons.
“An increase is possible; we’ll see how much. We’re working on all fronts,” Vysotsky emphasized.
At the same time, he refrained from making any forecasts.
“We’ll report the actual results every month,” the minister noted.
Regarding the prospects for opening a maritime grain corridor, the head of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy stated that “there are currently no signals from our partners that could be interpreted as providing any kind of planning horizon.”
“The situation remains unchanged—no more, no less,” Vysotsky said.
Earlier, the minister reported that in September, Ukraine managed to export 2.4 million metric tons of agricultural products, or 46% of what was supposed to be exported, including 1.4 million metric tons of grain (38%), 444,000 metric tons of oilseeds (83%), oil—311,000 metric tons, or 64%, and meal—280,000 metric tons, or 46% of the potential required exports.
EXPORTS, GRAIN, HUNGARY, MOLDOVA, SLOVAKIA, TRANSIT, UKRAINE
