President Murmu begins Europe tour with first-ever visit to Moldova

Chisinau,UPDATED: Jul 20, 2026 13:00 IST

President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Moldova on Monday on the first leg of her three-nation tour of Europe, marking the first visit by an Indian head of state to the country. The visit is aimed at strengthening India’s ties with Moldova, North Macedonia and Romania in areas such as trade, technology and tourism.

During her visit to Moldova, Murmu is scheduled to hold talks with President Maia Sandu and meet Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu. She will also interact with members of the Moldova-India Parliamentary Friendship Group, address a Business Forum and meet members of the Indian community.

"On her arrival at Chisinau Airport, she was warmly received by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Mihai Popsoi," Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a post on X.

Moldova, a landlocked country in Eastern Europe spread over 33,846 sq km, lies between Romania and Ukraine. Around 2,000 Indian nationals live in Moldova, including about 1,800 medical students, making India one of the largest foreign student communities in the country.

After her day-long visit to Moldova, Murmu will travel to North Macedonia from July 21 to 22. This will also be the first visit by an Indian President to that country. In the final leg of her tour, she will visit Romania from July 23 to 25 at the invitation of Romanian President Nicuor Dan. It will be the first visit by an Indian President to Romania in more than three decades.

The President’s visits to the three countries reflect India’s focus on deepening bilateral ties and expanding engagement with the wider Eastern European region. Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, Rajya Sabha member Dinesh Sharma and Lok Sabha member Vijay Baghel are part of the official delegation accompanying her.

With PTI Inputs

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