Moldova's parliament picked a new prime minister on Friday to lead the small nation's efforts to join the European Union and break free of Russia's political orbit.
The appointment of Alexandru Munteanu, a 61-year-old economist, follows a parliamentary election in September in which President Maia Sandu's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) resoundingly defeated a Russia-leaning rival and won a fresh mandate to pursue Moldova's EU drive.
"We have a unique opportunity to become the government that will bring Moldova into the European Union," Munteanu said ahead of the parliamentary vote, in which he won the backing of 55 of 101 lawmakers.
SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES AHEAD
Munteanu's government will need to weather significant economic headwinds and stubbornly high inflation, largely a result of Russia's 2022 invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
Joining the EU can take many years and Moldova will need to undertake tough reforms such as cleaning up its judiciary and overhauling its outdated energy grid.
Munteanu, who has worked outside Moldova for some 20 years including for the World Bank and has not previously held political office, outlined his government's priorities as "EU, peace, growth."
He holds Moldovan, Romanian and U.S. citizenship.
REINTEGRATING PRO-RUSSIAN TERRITORY
The outcome of last month's parliamentary election was seen as a rebuke to Moscow, Moldova's Soviet-era ruler which officials have accused of widespread political interference.
Russia denies the accusation.
Munteanu also signalled that Chisinau would attempt to settle a long-standing dispute with its Transdniestria region, where pro-Russian separatists broke away in a brief war in the early 1990s.
The conflict has remained quiescent but there has been virtually no progress in resolving the standoff, and Chisinau's EU bid has raised new urgency around the issue.
Munteanu said it was "theoretically possible" to join the 27-member EU without reintegrating Transdniestria, but said an opportunity to settle the dispute was currently available.
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