Sergio Mattarella will pay a two-day visit to Chisinau during June 17 and 18, marking the first official visit by an Italian President to Moldova. President Maia Sandu will welcome his Italian counterpart in a ceremony on June 18.

The Moldovan President’s Office stressed in a press release that Italy is one of our country’s most important partners, hosting the largest Moldovan community in the diaspora.

Moldova’s partnership with Italy manifests on multiple levels. In 2022-2023, with the support of Italy, several refugee reception centers were set up and 21 vehicles for the border police were purchased. Italy is Moldova’s sixth largest trade partner, with over 1200 companies with Italian capital present in the country. Also, Italy’s generous contribution offered within the Moldova Support Platform in 2022 and 2023 compensated part of the energy bills paid by Moldovan citizens in the cold season. Moldova and Italy also cooperate on the dimension of international security, especially in peacekeeping missions under the auspices of the UN.

On the occasion of the visit, on Monday, a concert will be held at the Palace of the Republic celebrating the great Italian composer Giacomo Puccini.

On Tuesday, President Sandu and President Mattarella will hold a joint press conference.