MFA confirms: Body of airport attacker to be repatriated to Tajikistan

Relatives of Rustam Asurov, who killed two citizens at Chisinau airport on Friday, have initiated the necessary procedures for the repatriation of the body with the help of representatives of the Tajik diaspora in Chisinau. The statement was made to Radio Moldova by the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI), Igor Zaharov.

EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni comes to Moldova

Closer economic cooperation with the European Union will be the main topic of discussions between the Moldovan authorities and the European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, who is due to visit our country on 6-7 July. The announcement was made today by Government spokesman Daniel Voda.

Romanian expert: Ukraine will not receive the invitation to join the North Atlantic Alliance at the Vilnius Summit

The creation of a new NATO-Ukraine Council at the Alliance's Vilnius Summit on 11-12 July, where Ukraine will discuss on an equal footing with NATO allies, argues the importance that Ukraine is given in this difficult period, said for Radio Moldova, the political commentator from Bucharest, Laurențiu Pleșca. The expert argues that Ukraine will not receive the invitation to become a NATO member in Vilnius, but this could happen after the end of the war.

Dumitru Alaiba: "The signing of the Agreement with EFTA will help Moldova increase export volumes to these markets"

The signing of the Agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which brings together countries such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, will help the Republic of Moldova to increase export volumes to these markets, and entrepreneurs will achieve success in those markets, Minister of Economic Development and Digitisation Dumitru Alaiba said at a press conference. The official stressed that the signing of the agreement is an important step towards the economic growth and sustainable development of the Republic of Moldova.

Emmanuel Macron backs Volodimir Zelenski ahead of NATO summit

In a telephone conversation on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his support for his Ukrainian counterpart Volodimir Zelenski, who is calling for clear commitments from NATO at the upcoming NATO summit on July 11 and 12, according to Hotnews.ro.

Kiev and Moscow accuse each other of preparing an attack on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant

Ukraine accused Moscow on Tuesday of preparing a "provocation" at the Russian-occupied Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, while Russia in turn claims Kiev is preparing an "attack" on the plant, AFP and Agerpres report.

Mircea Geoană reiterates NATO support for Moldova. Igor Grosu: "A neutral country needs a strong defence system"

A neutral country needs a strong defence system, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated this once again, said Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu at a joint press conference in Brussels with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană. The senior NATO official noted that NATO strongly supports the right of the Republic of Moldova to decide its own future without external interference and in full support of the constitutional neutrality of the state.

The Minister of Agriculture visits Ukraine. Together with officials from the Baltic countries they inspected Ukrainian ports

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAIA) Vladimir Bolea together with officials from the Baltic countries pay a visit to Ukrainian ports, accompanied by Ukrainian Minister Mykola Solski. The delegation is inspecting terminals in the region of the ports and discussing with Ukrainian authorities with a view to facilitating the export of domestic agricultural goods and coordinated transit of agricultural goods from Ukraine, according to a statement issued by MAIA.

Interest rates on loans granted under the state programme "First Home" are falling

From 1 July the maximum annual interest rate for new loans granted under the State Programme "First Home" has been lowered. Thus, as of this month, the rate is 10.87% per annum, which is 5.8 percentage points lower than the maximum interest rate applied so far, announces the Entrepreneurship Development Organisation. As a result, monthly loan repayments for active beneficiaries will be significantly reduced and potential beneficiaries of the programme will be able to take out new loans on more favourable terms.

Expert: "Joe Biden's diplomatic tour of Europe argues that NATO wants cohesion between Europe and the US

US President Joe Biden's diplomatic tour to Europe from 9-13 July argues that NATO wants cohesion between Europe and the US, says Bucharest-based political commentator Laurențiu Pleșca. In his opinion, the presence of the White House leader at the North Atlantic Alliance Summit in Vilnius sends a clear message of Washington's support for NATO's Eastern flank.

The interim president of the SCM has resigned

The interim president of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), Nina Cernat, announced her resignation at today's SCM meeting. The new SCM member, Sergiu Caraman, will take over as interim President until the new President of the Superior Council of Magistracy is appointed.

North Atlantic Alliance challenges to be discussed at Vilnius Summit: Jens Stoltenberg: "The decisions we take will bring Ukraine closer to NATO"

NATO's Vilnius Summit on 11-12 July will address the most pressing challenges for the Alliance to strengthen NATO deterrence and defence and bring Ukraine closer to the Alliance, according to a statement on NATO's website. The source also notes that the North Atlantic Alliance is currently facing the most dangerous and unpredictable security environment since the Cold War.