Local partnerships and dialogue with the diaspora on the agenda of Minister Mihai Popșoi’s visit to Austria’s federal state of Carinthia

27 February 2026, Neuhaus - During his visit to Austria, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mihai Popșoi travelled to the federal state of Carinthia, where he met with local authorities and visited the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Moldova in the municipality of Neuhaus.

Talks with Governor Peter Kaiser focused on the Republic of Moldova's European agenda, strengthening interinstitutional cooperation at regional level, making use of EU instruments and mechanisms for regional development, as well as promoting cultural and educational initiatives.

The head of Moldovan diplomacy also met with Patrick Skubel, Mayor of the municipality of Neuhaus-twinned with the commune of Trușeni-together with representatives of educational institutions and local public administration officials. The partnership was formalised in April 2025 during the official visit of a delegation from the Republic of Moldova to Neuhaus, through the signing of the twinning agreement by the mayors of the two localities and the planting of the Friendship Tree (a cherry tree). The discussions highlighted the importance of community-level cooperation and the value of local partnerships in strengthening ties between the Republic of Moldova and Austria.

"Even though many kilometres separate us, we are united by a strong sense of unity, solidarity and friendship. We want to continue strengthening these links between our communities through direct people-to-people contacts and local-level cooperation. In these times, building bridges becomes essential so that we remain united and stronger," said Minister Mihai Popșoi.

The agenda also included a visit by Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi to the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Moldova in Carinthia, where he attended the opening of an exhibition of art, tradition and culture. The event opened with a violin recital performed by the young musician Cătălin Advahov. On this occasion, Honorary Consul Raul Șerban Arabagiu announced the donation of a state-of-the-art defibrillator for the "Mihai Viteazul" Gymnasium in the village of Chircăiești, Căușeni district, aimed at strengthening first-aid response capacity.

Mihai Popșoi also exchanged views with members of the corps of honorary consuls and representatives of the regional business community connected to the Republic of Moldova, during which priorities and opportunities for cooperation were discussed.

Economic cooperation was discussed with the President of the Carinthia Chamber of Commerce, Jürgen Mandl. The officials reviewed concrete initiatives intended to stimulate partnerships in areas such as tourism, trade and the exchange of best practices.

The visit to Carinthia concluded with a dialogue between the head of Moldovan diplomacy and the Moldovan community in the region.