
Romanian President Nicușor Dan arrived in Moldova on Thursday for a visit marking the 35th anniversary of the country’s independence, with a schedule that includes bilateral and trilateral talks, a military parade, and a joint press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski.
Dan began his day in the southern city of Cahul, where he visited the construction site of the Republican Musical-Dramatic Theater “Bogdan Petriceicu Hașdeu” at 10:00, followed by a stop at the Bogdan Petriceicu Hașdeu University Center at 10:30, according to the presidential agenda .
At 14:35, Dan was received by Sandu at the Presidential Palace in Chișinău for a tête-à-tête meeting, followed by official discussions. The two leaders then attended a military parade in Great National Assembly Square at 16:45, part of the independence day celebrations .
The centerpiece of the visit was a trilateral meeting at 18:45 among Dan, Sandu, and Zelenski at the Presidential Palace. The three presidents delivered a joint press statement at 19:25, per the official program . Dan’s schedule concluded with a dinner hosted by Sandu at the Nicolae Iorga State Residence and attendance at a festive concert in Great National Assembly Square at 21:10, alongside Sandu and Zelenski .
The Moldovan presidency confirmed on Wednesday that Sandu had invited both Dan and Zelenski to the independence celebrations. Sandu had previously met with Mirabela Grădinaru, Dan’s partner, in Kyiv on Monday and extended an invitation for her to visit Chișinău on Sept. 1, which Grădinaru accepted .
Earlier on Thursday, Moldovan authorities reported that five unauthorized drones had entered the country’s airspace overnight in the southeast, amid ongoing Russian airstrikes on Ukraine. The Defense Ministry stated that the situation was continuously monitored .
Moldova declared independence on Aug. 27, 1991, when its parliament adopted the Declaration of Independence .
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