ROMA (ITALPRESS) – Italy is a “leader partner” for Moldova and its accession to the European Union. It is the opinion of Oleg Nica, Ambassador of Moldova to Rome, interviewed by Claudio Brachino for Diplomacy Magazine, the column of geopolitical agency Italpress.
According to Nica, bilateral relations “are based on a solid political dialogue”, while in the European context “Italy, as the founding country of the Union, is a leading partner for us”. These institutional relations are interwoven with another factor, the human one, as Nica underlines. “Our community in Italy has a very important role. It is the most numerous we have in a foreign country: about 300 thousand people. It is a well-integrated, active community involved in the economic, social and cultural fabric of the country. It represents an authentic human, cultural and economic bridge between our nations. The entry into force of the Social Security Agreement, since September 2025, represents a strong signal to protect the rights of our citizens residing here in Italy and contributes significantly to improving their quality of life,” the ambassador said.
Even on the economic level, “although Moldova is a small country, economic relations are very dynamic” according to the head of the Moldovan mission in Rome. “ Moldova has a strong growth capacity. Bilateral trade in 2025 reached approximately 700 million euros. Italy is in fifth place as a trading partner of Moldova, with a share of 5.6% of total trade. Italy is in fourth place, with about 1,100 companies in Moldova. The closeness and path of European integration, together with the current reforms, continue to make the country more attractive, especially in the fields of green energy, modern agriculture, agri-food industry, digitalisation and infrastructure,” Nica explained.
“I would also like to underline the EU’s approval of a growth plan for Moldova over the next two years, the Moldova Growth Plan, which provides approximately €1.8 billion for economic growth, reforms and alignment to European standards,” he added. “For May we are trying to organize a Country presentation here in Rome, including Simest, Sace, Farnesina and Unioncamere. We will also bring representatives from Moldova, to the highest possible institutional level, to illiterate the country and the opportunities it offers at this time,” the ambassador announced.
A central point for Chisinau is the support that Rome offers to its path of EU membership. Italy, said the diplomat, “is one of the main supporters” from this point of view. A path started after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and which saw Moldova receive the candidate country status in June 2022. Since then, according to Nica, the country has made significant progress in reforms.
“According to the last report of the European Commission, Moldova is already ready to open three clusters of negotiations. Our objective is ambitious: to complete all the necessary procedures for accession to the European Union by 2028, while consolidating the democratic stability and economic growth of the country, but also contributing to the stability and security of the entire region,” he said.
In 2028 Italy will take the Presidency of the Council of the European Union “and for us it would be a sign of great importance, of symbolic and political value, to be ready to sign in that year the Treaty of Accession. In Italy there is a community of almost 300 thousand people, about 11% of the population of the country, and for this reason the accession of Moldova would not only represent an enlargement of the European Union, but also a real reunification to the land of the great European family,” said the diplomat.
The path of accession takes place in a context where the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine has had and continues to have a direct impact on the security of the entire region. “Our country remains exposed to external ingestion attempts, especially through hybrid war instruments, as it emerged during the recent referendum on Moldova’s accession to the European Union. One of the most used tools ever to exert pressure on Moldova is energy blackmail, accompanied by illicit funding of pro-Russian political forces and disinformation campaigns, especially on social media. During the referendum, a huge flow of false narratives circulated with the aim of generating fear and confusion in our nation. These are completely unfounded statements, aimed exclusively at hindering the European path of our country”, the ambassador explained.
The closeness with Italy is so much more important in an international context marked by hybrid lacerations and threats. In this regard, the proximity between the two populations is made tangible also by cultural activities such as the one that will see on tour and the company of the Moldovan national theater Mihai Eminescu. “An emblematic example, and I take the opportunity to invite everyone, is the tour of the national theater Mihai Eminescu, which will be held between late April and early May in Italy, with three stages in Rome, Bologna and Venice. It will bring the show Dossier Siberiani, dedicated to the memory of deportations, a very sad, painful and dramatic page of the history of our nation. This initiative is not only intended to involve the Moldovan community in Italy, but also the Italian public, so that history is not forgotten and one can understand what it means to live under the Soviet regime,” Nica said.
One last thing, but not by importance, unites the two peoples and the two countries: the wine, which from the same Nica is called “our ambassador” in the world. “It is our national pride. We have famous wineries all over the world, some of which are inserted in the Guinness of primates. In the last three years Moldova has won 1,600 gold medals in various world championships. If we talk about the world’s longest cellar, with 120 km of underground tunnels, this is located in Chisinau and is called Cricova. It is a wine cellar to visit: I always recommend to everyone to take a trip. We have links with Italy from almost all regions and in two or three days you can visit Moldova and its wineries. These are open to the public: you can make guided tours with underground electric machines and there are restaurants 50 meters deep. It’s really a show to see,” the ambassador concluded.
(ITALPRESS).
-Foto Italpress-
