Moldova’s Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Vladimir Bolya announced on April 22 that the locomotive carrying a government delegation and Romanian diplomats to the opening ceremony of a renovated European-gauge railway section had broken down. The incident occurred during the delegation’s journey to the event, with officials remaining stranded in Falciu.
In a social media statement, Bolya remarked: “This is a very good sign. The road is European, built according to all new requirements, which means that we need to replace the locomotives so that they are also European, and then we will be confident in them.”
Moldovan authorities regard the shift from the CIS standard railway gauge (1520 mm) to the European standard (1435 mm) as critical for integration into the European Union’s transport network. The newly converted Cantemir-Falciu section aims to establish direct rail connections with Romania.
Separately, Moldova has withdrawn from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). On April 8, President Maia Sandu signed decrees terminating two key agreements with CIS nations: those establishing the Commonwealth and its protocol, as well as the Commonwealth charter. CIS Secretary General Sergei Lebedev confirmed on March 3 that Moldova’s departure from the organization occurs while maintaining 208 agreements, noting the state will no longer participate in closed CIS commitments and faces complications in other obligations.
