CHISINAU: Moldova’s Prime Minister Vasile Tofan has described the visit of a Taliban delegation to the country as “shameful” and “unacceptable”, announcing an internal review into how the group was granted entry visas despite the government’s policy of not recognising the Taliban administration.
In a statement posted on social media, Tofan said the delegation’s visit resulted from an institutional failure in which administrative procedures were followed, but the broader political and diplomatic implications were overlooked.
According to the prime minister, the visit request originated from a Moldovan company seeking to expand agricultural exports from Uzbekistan into the Afghan market.
The request was subsequently reviewed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the Foreign Ministry, the General Inspectorate for Migration and the border police.
Officials found that the members of the Taliban delegation were not listed under European Union sanctions, leading migration authorities to issue a favourable recommendation and the Foreign Ministry to grant visas.
Moldova is a landlocked Eastern European country nestled between Romania and Ukraine. Most of its territory sits between the Prut and Dniester rivers, featuring the autonomous region of Gagauzia and the breakaway state of Transnistria.
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Tofan said, however, that the Intelligence and Security Service had not been consulted because existing regulations did not require its involvement.
He acknowledged that while the required administrative procedures had been completed, government institutions failed to properly assess the political context, potential risks and diplomatic consequences of allowing the delegation to enter the country.
The prime minister said Moldova would now review its consultation procedures with the intelligence service to prevent similar incidents in the future and ensure accountability for those responsible.
Responding to calls for resignations, Tofan said reforming the decision-making process was more important than assigning blame to a single official.
Moldova’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that visas had been issued to members of the Taliban Agriculture Ministry delegation but stressed that no official meetings with the visitors would take place.
The government has since launched an internal investigation into the matter.
