BUCHAREST – On Tuesday, Romanian President Nicuşor Dan made his first official visit to Chișinău, where he thanked Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Moldovans with Romanian citizenship for their support in the May elections. Dan expressed optimism that Moldovan citizens will demonstrate the civic spirit necessary to maintain the country’s European orientation in the 28 September parliamentary elections.
The two presidents also discussed collaborating to combat Russia’s hybrid war.
“The biggest threat today is Russia,” Dan said at a joint press conference. “Beyond the war in Ukraine, we must be very careful and have common means of responding to a hybrid war. We spoke today about collaborating in this area.”
When asked what she expects from Romania regarding Russian interference in the upcoming elections, Sandu said that Chișinău needs support to repel cyberattacks. “We received support in previous elections (the 2024 presidential election), and we anticipate facing challenges again,” she said.
Sandu referred to the European Cybersecurity Center in Bucharest, which specializes in this issue. She stressed that she wants “closer collaboration on combating disinformation and propaganda because it is a problem for both Moldova and Romania”.