NETHERLANDS, July 15 - Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra informed the Dutch cabinet that the embassy office in Chisinau, Moldova will be upgraded to full embassy status. The embassy office currently falls under the remit of the ambassador to Romania, who is based in Bucharest.

The decision was taken in order to deepen the Netherlands’ existing ties with Moldova. The Netherlands supports Moldova’s EU candidacy and has good relations with its pro-European government. Another factor in the Netherlands’ desire for stronger representation in Moldova is the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

The change of status means that an ambassador will be appointed and extra staff will be assigned to the new embassy. An ambassador on the ground will have better access to the Moldovan government and can ensure that the Netherlands is better informed about developments in Moldova and the spillover effects of the war in Ukraine. An ambassador will also be able to promote Dutch interests in Moldova more effectively, and support the Moldovan government in its reform agenda. The embassy office will gain full embassy status as soon as an ambassador has been appointed.

The Netherlands looks forward to continuing and enhancing its close cooperation with Moldova in the years ahead.