Moldova's parliament voted on Friday to appoint pro-EU economist Alexandru Munteanu as the country's new prime minister.
Munteanu was picked to lead the small nation's efforts to join the European Union and break free of Russia's political orbit.
The appointment of Munteanu, a 61-year-old economist, follows a parliamentary election in September in which President Maia Sandu's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) resoundingly defeated a Russia-leaning rival and won a fresh mandate to pursue Moldova's EU drive.
"We have a unique opportunity to become the government that will bring Moldova into the European Union," Munteanu said ahead of the parliamentary vote, in which he won the backing of 55 of 101 lawmakers.
SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES AHEAD
Munteanu's government will need to weather significant economic headwinds and stubbornly high inflation, largely a result of Russia's 2022 invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
Joining the EU can take many years and Moldova will need to undertake tough reforms such as cleaning up its judiciary and overhauling its outdated energy grid.
Munteanu, who has worked outside Moldova for some 20 years including for the World Bank and has not previously held political office, outlined his government's priorities as "EU, peace, growth."
He holds Moldovan, Romanian and U.S. citizenship.
REINTEGRATING PRO-RUSSIAN TERRITORY
The outcome of last month's parliamentary election was seen as a rebuke to Moscow, Moldova's Soviet-era ruler which officials have accused of widespread political interference.
Russia denies the accusation.
Munteanu also signalled that Chisinau would attempt to settle a long-standing dispute with its Transdniestria region, where pro-Russian separatists broke away in a brief war in the early 1990s.
The conflict has remained quiescent but there has been virtually no progress in resolving the standoff, and Chisinau's EU bid has raised new urgency around the issue.
Munteanu said it was "theoretically possible" to join the 27-member EU without reintegrating Transdniestria, but said an opportunity to settle the dispute was currently available.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2026 will be announced on Friday, 9 October, bringing one of the world's most closely watched awards back into focus....
Iran is reviewing a U.S. response to Tehran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi s...
AnewZ has premiered its new documentary film Kontrapunkt in Berlin, exploring more than two centuries of shared German-Azerbaijani hist...
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
The Saudi-led coalition says it has carried out a series of military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen after attacks on two Saudi airports left three people dead and dozens injured.
Azerbaijan and the five Central Asian states have signed two key documents at the 8th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, formalising a broader framework for regional cooperation in transport, trade, energy, digitalisation and security.
An investigation into August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has no connection to Azerbaijan, informed sources have told AnewZ.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2026 will be announced on Friday, 9 October, bringing one of the world's most closely watched awards back into focus.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday 8 October, that Yerevan will discuss the possible construction of railway connections with the Turkish city of Kars and the Azerbaijani city of Nakhchivan with Russian officials next week, according to local media.
It started with classrooms. Too many students, not enough teachers, deteriorating buildings and growing anxiety over what comes after high school. But within weeks, a movement that began outside French lycées had spread across the country.
Iran says it will deliver its response to recent U.S. proposals through intermediaries, underscoring that communication between the two countries continues indirectly alongside ongoing diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.
International cooperation, lunar exploration and the growing role of artificial intelligence dominated the third day of a major astronautical conference now underway in Antalya.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment