Nicușor Dan to meet Maia Sandu and Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Moldova Independence Day

Morning program in Cahul

Romanian President Nicușor Dan will begin his official visit to the Republic of Moldova on Thursday morning in the southern municipality of Cahul. According to the itinerary released by the Romanian Presidential Administration, his schedule opens at 10:00 with a visit to the construction site of the Bogdan Petriceicu Hașdeu Republican Musical-Dramatic Theatre. Half an hour later, at 10:30, the Romanian head of state will tour the Bogdan Petriceicu Hașdeu University Centre located in the same municipality. These regional visits precede the main state events scheduled in the national capital later in the day. The trip takes place on 27 August, the exact date the Republic of Moldova commemorates 35 years since its parliament adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1991.

Bilateral meetings and military parade in Chișinău

Following his engagements in Cahul, Nicușor Dan will travel north to Chișinău, where President Maia Sandu will formally welcome him at the Presidential Palace at 14:35. The two heads of state will first conduct a one-on-one tête-à-tête meeting before leading expanded bilateral talks between their official delegations. Later in the afternoon, the focus will shift to the center of the capital for official state ceremonial observances. At 16:45, Nicușor Dan and Maia Sandu will attend the military parade held in the Great National Assembly Square to mark the 35th anniversary of Moldovan statehood. The parade represents the centerpiece of the civic commemorations organized by the Moldovan government across Chișinău.

Trilateral summit and evening events

In the evening, the diplomatic agenda expands as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Chișinău to join the Moldovan and Romanian leaders. The Moldovan Presidency confirmed the attendance of both visiting heads of state on Tuesday after Maia Sandu issued invitations to both counterparts. At 18:45, Sandu, Dan, and Zelenskyy will convene for a formal trilateral summit at the Presidential Palace. Following the conclusion of their talks, the three presidents will deliver joint press statements at 19:25 to address the outcomes of their meeting. Maia Sandu will subsequently host an official dinner for the delegations at the Nicolae Iorga State Residence, followed by their joint attendance at a festive public concert in the Great National Assembly Square.

Diplomatic calendar and regional context

The three-way gathering in Chișinău takes place days after Nicușor Dan did not travel to Ukraine for its own Independence Day celebrations in Kyiv on 24 August. Addressing questions regarding the Romanian head of state's schedule, the Romanian Presidential Administration clarified the diplomatic planning.

A decision was made to prioritize other activities on the president's agenda.

Officials in Bucharest confirmed that alongside the Chișinău discussions on 27 August, a possible follow-up bilateral meeting between the Romanian and Ukrainian presidents is currently being organized for mid-September. In parallel, Maia Sandu met Mirabela Grădinaru, the partner of Nicușor Dan, in Kyiv on Monday and extended an invitation for a visit to Chișinău scheduled for 1 September.