The Parliament of Moldova approved today seasoned politician Doreen Rechan as prime minister to lead a government committed to reviving the economy and charting the path to joining the European Union.

A majority of 62 deputies, in the 101-seat parliament, approved the new government with their vote after hearing the program positions presented by Rechan.

THE aged 48 Rechan, he was nominated on Friday by the country’s president Maya Sandu to replace Natalia Gavrilita whose government resigned after a tumultuous 18-month period marked by economic turmoil and alleged Russian meddling.

“We want to live in a safe world where international treaties will be respected, where problems between countries will be resolved through dialogue, where there will be respect for small states”, states the government that he proposed in its program positions and adds: “we want to be full members of the European Union”.

Rechan is an experienced politician who has served in various senior positions in the Moldovan government and has also served as secretary of the Supreme Security Council. He was interior minister from 2012 to 2015 under two prime ministers and was the first civilian to hold the position.

Rechan stated that his government will include only four ministers who were not part of the previous government. They include the ministers of Finance, Infrastructure, Justice and Energy.

Moldova, a former Soviet republic of 2.5 million people that borders Ukraine and EU member Romania, is a candidate for EU membership, but the accession process usually takes a few years.

Its economy is heavily dependent on Russian gas flows and has been hit by the knock-on effects of the war in Ukraine. High energy and food prices have driven up inflation in 2022 and sparked anti-government protests as Moldova hosts a large number of people displaced from Ukraine

Sandu has repeatedly accused Russia of trying to destabilize Moldova and accused Moscow on Monday of trying to topple the country’s political leadership, stall its EU accession path and use it in the war against Ukraine.

Russia, whose troops are stationed in the breakaway region of Transnistria from Moldova, has denied the accusations.

Tensions have occasionally escalated as missile debris has landed on Moldovan soil following Russian attacks in Ukraine.

In the fourth such incident of the war, police said today that missile debris had been found in northern Moldova, near the border with Ukraine, shortly after the latest wave of Russian airstrikes. Moscow did not immediately comment on the report.