After a hiatus of five years, the Strategic Dialogue between the Republic of Moldova and the United States was resumed in Washington. The session was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, and Karen Donfried, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. The three joint working groups of the Strategic Dialogue also had meetings and were attended by high-ranking officials of the two states, IPN reports.

In his speech, Nicu Popescu underlined the importance of giving a concrete dimension to the Moldova-U.S. relations on the 30th anniversary of the bilateral partnership, with emphasis on the strategic dialogue and extension of cooperation areas. “We underlined the importance of the U.S. assistance in ensuring continuous processes for modernizing the country, including for supporting economic development, promoting digitization, developing infrastructure and strengthening the energy security and resilience of the Republic of Moldova,” said the minister, being quoted in a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.

The Moldovan official spoke about the challenges faced by the authorities in Chisinau in the efforts to ensure the socioeconomic resilience of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova in the context of regional insecurity.

In the meeting of the three joint working groups of the Strategic Dialogue – on the rule of law and good governance, on political and security issues, on economic and energy issues – the officials of the two states reaffirmed the importance of promoting a dialogue and a consistent partnership, democracy, prosperity and security in the Republic of Moldova together with the advancing of the reform agenda and of the process of joining the European Union.

The sides also agreed to launch a new joint working group, on public diplomacy, which would strengthen interpersonal relationships, cultural and intercultural ties and professional exchanges.

“The Moldova-U.S. Strategic Dialogue and the joint working groups emphasize the developing bilateral relations, being the essential dimension of the Moldovan-American partnership and the platform for realizing the cooperation potential in a wide range of areas, such as strengthening of the rule of law and good governance, justice sector reform, economic cooperation, energy security and resilience, inter-human and cultural ties,” runs the press release.