Moldova

Tens of thousands of Moldovans rallied on Sunday to demand European Union membership for their country, whose bid to join the bloc has been accelerated by the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

The former Soviet republic of 2.6 million people applied last year to join the EU and in June 2022 became a candidate country, alongside Ukraine.

Officers of Moldova's National Anticorruption Centre, CNA, on Tuesday evening raided the offices of the Central Electoral Commission in Gagauzia, collecting lists of voters for the election of a new governor held in the autonomous southern region.

The CNA said it found names in the lists of some citizens settled outside the country and of some dead people.

Evghenia Gutul's victory in the race for governor of autonomous Gagauzia has been dogged by allegations of irregularities. If confirmed, her pro-Russian party, bankrolled by a fugitive oligarch, will have a seat in Moldova's pro-European cabinet.

Under a pro-European leadership, Moldova has sought to rid itself of Russian influence, but it won't be easy, especially with Russian soldiers in Transnistria.

Local elections in Moldova's pro-Russian autonomous region of Gagauzia were won on Sunday by the Ilan Shor Party's candidate, Evghenia Gutul, according to results published by the Electoral Commission in Comrat, the central administrative city in the region.

The co-chairs of the Joint Interministerial Committee for Economic, Technological and Scientific Cooperation between Greece and Moldova, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Kostas Fragogiannis and Deputy Minister for Development and Digitalization of Moldova Vadim Gumene reaffirmed both countries' strong volition to strengthen economic and trade relations between Greece and Moldova and the next steps

A Kyiv official said on Monday that his country could ban all imports from Moldova if the authorities in Chisinau temporarily halt grain imports from Ukraine amid the threat of protests by Moldovan farmers.

Moldovan anti-corruption prosecutors on Sunday raided the offices of the pro-Russian Ilan Shor Party in the southern autonomous region of Gagauzia, suspecting they have used illegal means to solicit votes for the party's candidate, Evghenia Gutul, in elections for the post of governor.

The EU member states approved today a total of 70 million euros in aid for the armed forces of Moldova and Georgia.

Moldova's autonomous region of Gagauzia goes to elections on Sunday for a new governor, or Bashkan, with eight candidates in the race, most of them with pro-Russian views.

The elections in Gagauzia represent a first test before local elections throughout the country due in autumn, and for presidential elections that will take place next year.