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take many years and Moldova will need to undertake tough reforms such as cleaning up its judiciary and overhauling its outdated energy grid.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.
Axios has published the full 28-point framework drafted by the U.S. administration, outlining a proposed settlement between Ukraine and Russia built o...
South Africa and the European Union vowed to defend multilateralism on Thursday (November 20), ahead of the G20 summit, as they signed a partnership o...
More international support is needed to stabilise the Palestinian fiscal situation, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica sai...
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the command post of the Russian forces “West” grouping on Thursday (November 20), meeting with Chief of R...
The White House said on Thursday (November 20) that senior Trump administration officials met with Ukrainian representatives this past week to discuss...
Axios has published the full 28-point framework drafted by the U.S. administration, outlining a proposed settlement between Ukraine and Russia built on security guarantees, territorial provisions and long-term economic arrangements.
South Africa and the European Union vowed to defend multilateralism on Thursday (November 20), ahead of the G20 summit, as they signed a partnership on critical minerals.
More international support is needed to stabilise the Palestinian fiscal situation, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica said on Thursday (November 20).
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the command post of the Russian forces “West” grouping on Thursday (November 20), meeting with Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov and senior military officials, the Kremlin said.
Indonesian authorities evacuated more than 900 people from nearby villages and were helping 170 stranded climbers return safely after the eruption of Semeru volcano, one of the country's tallest mountains.
Iran's air force, heavily reliant on aging F-14A Tomcat jets, faces a growing technological gap as its neighbors rapidly modernize their air forces with advanced fighter jets and air defense systems.
A fresh wave of floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in central Vietnam since the weekend has claimed at least eight lives, according to a government report on Wednesday. Traders have also cautioned that the extreme weather could disrupt the ongoing coffee harvest.
Germany has returned 12 royal-era cultural artefacts to Ethiopia in a ceremony in Addis Ababa, marking a formal step in ongoing cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Japan’s tourism sector is bracing for heavy economic fallout after China warned its citizens against visiting, setting off a wave of cancellations that analysts estimate could cost the economy more than $14.23 billion a year.
Axios has published the full 28-point framework drafted by the U.S. administration, outlining a proposed settlement between Ukraine and Russia built on security guarantees, territorial provisions and long-term economic arrangements.
South Africa and the European Union vowed to defend multilateralism on Thursday (November 20), ahead of the G20 summit, as they signed a partnership on critical minerals.
More international support is needed to stabilise the Palestinian fiscal situation, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica said on Thursday (November 20).
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the command post of the Russian forces “West” grouping on Thursday (November 20), meeting with Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov and senior military officials, the Kremlin said.
The White House said on Thursday (November 20) that senior Trump administration officials met with Ukrainian representatives this past week to discuss a peace plan designed to be acceptable to both Ukraine and Russia.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment