Moldova's foreign minister, Nicu Popescu, said on Wednesday that he is retiring, stating that he "needs a break" following what he characterized as a challenging era for the nation but also one of "remarkable achievements" punctuated by progress toward eventual membership in the European Union.
Popescu, who has been the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration since August 2021, will stand down on January 29. He would also resign as deputy prime minister on the same day.
"The road traveled so far has been extremely complex, and I think we have successfully achieved the foreign policy goals set together with the President at the beginning of our journey, and at this stage, I need a break," he said in a post to his Facebook page on Wednesday.
Throughout his tenure, Popescu assisted Moldova in navigating several crises, including the coronavirus epidemic, the conflict in neighboring Ukraine, and what Moldovan officials have repeatedly stated were Russian attempts to destabilize Moldova, a country of around 2.5 million people.
However, in June 2022, Moldova was awarded formal candidate status for EU admission. In December last year, It received a boost when Brussels said it would launch membership discussions with the 27-nation EU, including Ukraine.
"We had a clear goal: to get the Republic of Moldova out of isolation, to overcome the effects of the pandemic, and to bring the country back on the European path — goals we have successfully promoted," Popescu said.
Moldova has experienced several challenges after Russia's outright invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. These include a significant energy crisis caused by Moscow's drastic reduction of gas supply, spiking prices, and multiple incidences of missile debris discovered on its territory from the neighboring conflict.
Last November's nationwide municipal elections were also clouded by what officials described as Moscow's attempts to subvert the poll. That followed Moldovan President Maia Sandu's revelation in February last year when she detailed an alleged Moscow conspiracy to destabilize Moldova's administration to place the country "at the disposal of Russia" and derail its EU membership aspirations. Russia refuted the charges.
When Popescu took office, he stated that Moldova was "practically lacking international respect and support, still marked by the shadow of corrupt and oligarchic governments."
Moldova will hold presidential elections in late 2024
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