The first foreign visit of the new Prime Minister of Romania, in Chisinau. Luca Niculescu meets with Maia Sandu, Vasile Tofan and Igor Grosu. On the agenda, Romanian investments and energy interconnection

The new Prime Minister of Romania, Luca Niculescu, will make his first foreign visit since taking office on Tuesday, October 27, choosing the Republic of Moldova as his destination. The Head of Government in Bucharest will have meetings with President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Vasile Tofan and Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu. The program includes discussions with representatives of Romanian companies investing in the Republic of Moldova, a joint press conference of the two prime ministers and a visit to the Chisinau Power Station, part of the infrastructure of the Vulcănești-Chisinau line. The trip takes place only a week after the inauguration of the new Romanian Government and aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation and accelerate joint projects.

According to the official program, Prime Minister Luca Niculescu's visit will begin with meetings at the Romanian diplomatic representations in Chisinau. At 10:00, he will discuss with the staff of the Consulate General, and at 10:45 he will have a meeting with His Holiness Antonie, Archbishop of Chisinau, Metropolitan of Bessarabia and Exarch of the Plains.

Afterwards, the Romanian Prime Minister will go to the Romanian Embassy, ​​where, from 12:30, he will meet with representatives of Romanian companies carrying out investment projects in the Republic of Moldova. The Prime Minister's address will be broadcast live on the official channels of the Government in Bucharest.

The central moment of the visit is scheduled for 14:25 p.m., when Luca Niculescu will be officially received by his Moldovan counterpart, Vasile Tofan, at the Government headquarters.

After the welcoming ceremony, the two prime ministers will have a tête-à-tête meeting, followed by discussions in the plenary session of the delegations of the two countries.

At 15:30 PM, Luca Niculescu and Vasile Tofan will hold a joint press conference, during which statements are expected regarding the results of the discussions and the priorities of cooperation between Bucharest and Chisinau. The conference will be broadcast live.

Another important point on the agenda is the visit of the two prime ministers, scheduled for 16:15, to the Chisinau Power Station, related to the Vulcănești-Chisinau power line, in the Brăila suburb of the capital. The objective is part of the strategic energy interconnection infrastructure of the Republic of Moldova.

In the evening, the Romanian Prime Minister will have meetings with the other two leaders of the central state institutions. At 17:00 PM, Luca Niculescu will be received by President Maia Sandu, at the Presidency headquarters, and at 18:00 PM he will meet with the Speaker of the Parliament, Igor Grosu.

First foreign trip, just one week after inauguration

Luca Niculescu took office as Prime Minister of Romania on October 20, 2026, after his new Cabinet received the vote of confidence of the Parliament in Bucharest, with 280 votes in favor and 58 against.

He had been appointed to form the Government by President Nicușor Dan on October 5, after a period of political instability caused by the dismissal of the Ilie Bolojan Government through a motion of no confidence in May.

Luca Niculescu, 55, has a long career in journalism and diplomacy. He graduated from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Bucharest and obtained a master's degree in European Journalism at Strasbourg.

Between 1992 and 2016, he worked in the press, including as editor-in-chief of RFI Romania. Subsequently, between 2016 and 2022, he was Romania's ambassador to France, Monaco and Andorra. Since September 2022, he has held the position of Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and coordinated the process of Romania's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The choice of Chisinau for the first foreign visit was agreed upon during a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, immediately after the inauguration of the new Romanian Executive.

Luca Niculescu announced that he aims to accelerate joint projects between the two states and identify new opportunities for cooperation. At the same time, he reaffirmed Bucharest's support for the European integration of the Republic of Moldova and stated that he had already asked Romanian ministers to intensify contacts with their counterparts in Chisinau.