On 31 May, Jan Knutsson, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs to Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström and Peter Sandwall, State Secretary to Minister for Defence Pål Jonson, will visit Moldova to discuss its security situation and closer ties to the EU.
The visit to Chisinau is an opportunity to discuss how Sweden can develop its cooperation with Moldova to support the country’s closer ties to the EU and strengthen its resilience ahead of the presidential election and EU referendum later this year.
“Moldova has displayed strong resilience to Russian hybrid attacks and the crisis caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During these challenging times, Moldova has made major progress on reforms as regards EU membership. The Swedish Government is determined to support Moldova’s closer ties to the EU, security and resilience,” says Mr Knutsson.
Sweden’s support to Moldova has increased since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, amounting to SEK 494 million in 2023. Through its reform cooperation with Moldova, Sweden is supporting independent media and Moldovan institutions to counteract malign information influence activities and ensure that upcoming elections are conducted in a transparent and democratic way.
In October 2023, Sweden announced SEK 300 million in energy support to Moldova, which is being used to aid vulnerable Moldovan households and contribute to long-term energy efficiency and expansion of infrastructure in the country.
