Highlighting the significance of India-Moldova relations amid growing global instability, Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Monday said that the two democracies are bound by common values of freedom, dignity and a shared commitment to working for the benefit of their citizens.
Addressing a joint press conference with President Droupadi Murmu, Sandu said, “In this world, which is more and more unstable, Moldova is choosing cooperation and a trustworthy partnership. And exactly with this sort of partnership, we can build a relationship with India.
We are two democracies, a large one, a very large one, and a small one, but united through the same values: freedom, dignity, and work to the benefit of the people. In Moldova, you'll always find a trustworthy friend.” Welcoming the Indian President, Sandu described President Murmu's visit as an honour for Moldova, noting that it was the first visit by an Indian head of state to the country since the establishment of diplomatic relations 34 years ago.
She said that the visit reflected respect and a growing partnership between the two countries “Today is a very special day for the Republic of Moldova. For the first time since the establishment of our diplomatic relationship 34 years ago, a head of state of India is visiting our country.
Miss President, welcome to the Republic of Moldova. Your visit is an honour for us. It's also a sign of respect for our country as well as for its citizens. India is the largest democracy in the world. It's a country with over 1.4 billion people and one of the largest and most dynamic economies in the world.
Lately, the political dialogue between our countries took some speed and a new pace,” the Moldovan President said. “In 2024, we resumed after 21 years the political bilateral consultations, and we also inaugurated the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in New Delhi.
And then some concrete steps followed,” she added. Sandu said that during the meeting, the two leaders also reviewed the entire spectrum of the bilateral relationship, while exploring new areas of cooperation across various sectors, including education, health, energy and trade.
“We want this relationship to bring some concrete results for our people in trade, in investments, in energy, in education, and in health. First of all, we would like to extend our trade. We want our products to reach the Indian market more and more. Today, we are going to open up together the business forum, Moldova- India, which is seeking to create some direct links between the businessmen and the companies of the two countries," she noted.
Emphasising the significance of people-to-people connections between the two countries, Sandu highlighted the growing presence of Indian students in Moldova and opportunities for further cooperation in higher education and pharmaceuticals. “Around 1400 students from India are studying at our universities.
The biggest of them attends the medical university. We also concluded the negotiations for a new cooperation agreement in the field of higher education, which is to be signed shortly. We also want to explore the experience of India in producing medications that are accessible to the people, but also to attract pharmaceutical investments to the Republic of Moldova,” she noted.
Thanking President Murmu for gifting her the bust of Mahatma Gandhi, Sandu said, “ The lesson learned from him is that the true peace is not the silence imposed by the powerful ones, but the mutual understanding between free nations.