Geo Political InsidersLos Angeles
Fineas speaks with Maxim Arghir, Moldova's Consul General in Sacramento, about Moldova's place between Europe and Russia. They discuss what a consulate general does and the Moldovan communities it serves across the Western United States, where Moldova and California connect in technology, agriculture, and winemaking, the role of Moldova's diaspora, and how Moldovan identity has changed since independence in 1991. They also cover Moldova's path toward European Union membership, how younger Moldovans see their country, the Transnistria conflict and what reintegration could mean for the people who live there, Vladimir Putin's view of the Soviet collapse, and what most people outside Moldova misunderstand about the dispute.
Maxim Arghir is the first Consul General of the Republic of Moldova in Sacramento, where Moldova opened its Consulate General in 2025 to serve Moldovan citizens across the Western United States. He previously served at Moldova's consulate in Padua, Italy, and at the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Washington, D.C.
Transcript lightly edited for clarity. Click any timestamp to play the video from that moment.
Fineas I'm Fineas, founder of GeoPolitical Insiders, a site devoted to conversations with diplomats, policymakers, scholars, and national security experts about the forces shaping international affairs. Today, I'm pleased to welcome Maxim Arghir, Moldova's Consul General in Sacramento. He works to strengthen Moldova's ties with the Western United States, expand opportunities for economic and cultural exchange, and support the Moldovan community across the region. Thank you, Consul General Arghir, for joining me.
Maxim Arghir Thank you, Fineas.
Fineas For people who may not be familiar with the work of a consul general, what is the Moldovan Consulate General's mission in the region, and what does your work here actually involve?
Maxim Arghir Well, I would describe our mission as having two, or actually three, main pillars. The first is to serve and, obviously, to protect Moldovan citizens, not only in California, because we are also covering, for instance, Hawaii and Arizona. That means providing consular services: passports, notarial services, emergency assistance. But it can also mean helping a Moldovan citizen who is in a difficult situation, or who simply needs guidance in dealing with the authorities.
The second dimension, I would say, is building bridges between Moldova and this part of the United States. As consul general, I spend a significant part of my time meeting local authorities, universities, business organizations, and community leaders, looking for opportunities to connect Moldova with California and the Western United States.
And the third part, I would say, is engaging with the local Moldovan community. It's so important to have a vital relationship between the government and the community, and to maintain and develop their ties to Moldova. So in many ways, the consulate is both a public-service institution and a small diplomatic bridge between two parts of the world.
Fineas So the Consulate General has jurisdiction over 13 states, you said? The entire Western United States, including Hawaii and Alaska?
Maxim Arghir Yes, exactly. The government decided to open a consulate here in Sacramento because we have quite a big Moldovan diaspora here. Around 5,000 Moldovans live in Sacramento alone, and in total we have about 7,000 Moldovans living in California. A big community also lives in Washington State, around 10,000 Moldovans. Smaller communities are in Nevada and Arizona.
Fineas Ten thousand Moldovans living in Washington. I didn't know that.
Maxim Arghir Yes. We're really, really happy that we opened a consulate here in Sacramento, because geographically it's more convenient for our diaspora, for all the Moldovans living in this part of the United States.
Fineas What are some of the Consulate General's priorities in its jurisdiction today? And in which areas, whether business, technology, education, culture, or others, do you see opportunities to build stronger ties between Moldova and the United States?
Maxim Arghir Well, California is particularly interesting for Moldova, because there are several areas where our interests naturally overlap. Technology is probably the most obvious one, right? Moldova has developed a very dynamic ICT sector, and there is considerable potential for cooperation in cybersecurity, for example, artificial intelligence, and innovation.
The second, I guess, is agriculture. As you know, Moldova has a strong agricultural and winemaking tradition, while California is one of the world's leading agricultural and wine-producing regions. There's a lot we can learn from each other in areas such as agricultural technology and water management.
A third direction would be education: connecting Moldovan universities with universities in California, research partnerships, and student and faculty exchanges. And finally, I guess, culture, because sometimes diplomacy starts very simply, with people discovering our food and our traditions. These connections may appear small, but over time they build real relationships.
Fineas Right. When I went to Moldova, I noticed vineyards everywhere, people growing grapes. So there's that connection between California and Moldova.
Maxim Arghir Exactly, exactly. Actually, I read a couple of days ago that in the north of Moldova they found grape seeds dating back to 2000 B.C. So we have a winemaking tradition from that time, and we're very rooted in it. For example, I know how to make wine, because my father taught me to make it at home. We had vineyards in the countryside. Right now is actually the time to pick grapes in Moldova, late September and the beginning of October.
We had these old barrels at home. Every home in Moldova has a cellar, and we would put the grape juice into the barrels and it would start fermenting. It's really great. Maybe one day I could open a wine company here in California, but that's too hard for me now.
Fineas I noticed all the vineyards, but I didn't know it was such a big tradition. Leaning more into the connections between our two countries: what are the most important connections between Moldova and the United States today, and what would Moldova like that relationship to look like in the future?
Maxim Arghir Well, the United States has been an important partner of Moldova since our independence in 1991. Today, the relationship includes security, democratic resilience, energy security, economic development, institutional reform, and support for our sovereignty and territorial integrity. But I would also like to see the relationship increasingly become an economic one.
For many years, when people talked about U.S.–Moldova relations, the conversation was often about assistance. I think the next stage should increasingly be about investment, trade, technology, and business partnerships. Moldova wants to be seen not only as a country that needs support, but as a country where American companies can find talented people, opportunities, and access to a market that is becoming increasingly integrated with the European Union. And of course, people-to-people connections remain extremely important. The Moldovan community in the United States is an important part of that relationship.
Fineas So you'd like to see more economic cooperation and investment in Moldova from the United States?
Maxim Arghir Yes, sure. I think every country wants this, because strong partnerships are built between people and businesses. This is the model we are seeking with the United States.
Fineas On the side of Moldovans in the United States: what is the role of Moldova's diaspora in the country's economic, political, and cultural development? And how does the consulate engage with Moldovan communities here?
Maxim Arghir Well, the diaspora plays an enormous role for Moldova. Historically, the money our diaspora sent home was very important for Moldovan families and for the economy. But today our diaspora is much more than people sending money home. Moldovans abroad bring professional experience, first of all, as well as ideas, business connections, and different expectations about how institutions should work. Some invest, some create companies, and some eventually return home with experience from abroad.
Our diaspora is also very politically engaged, and it maintains very strong cultural and family connections with Moldova. For us, engaging with the community is one of our most central responsibilities. Of course we provide consular services, but I don't want the relationship between the consulate and Moldovan citizens to begin and end with a passport application. I think the diaspora is an important resource for our country. We also want to bring people together, support cultural initiatives, meet more Moldovan communities across the Western United States, and create stronger connections between them and their country of origin.
Fineas I'd like to talk a little more about Moldovan national identity. Could you tell us how the country's national identity has changed since independence in 1991?
Maxim Arghir Well, if we are speaking about Moldovan identity today, I think it has more confidence than it did in 1991. When Moldova became independent, the country had just emerged from the Soviet Union, which I call a prison of nations, and at that time people were trying to understand what independence actually meant: politically, economically, and even psychologically.
More than three decades later, we have an entire generation that has lived only in an independent Republic of Moldova. I was born in the Soviet Union, so from my perspective I can see the difference. Our society still debates questions of history, language, and identity, and this is normal, right? But increasingly there is also a civic understanding: this is our country, these are our institutions, and we have a responsibility for what kind of state we build.
And I would say that European integration has given Moldova a much clearer sense of direction. So Moldovan identity today is not simply about looking backward and asking where we came from. It's increasingly about asking where we want to go. And for sure, that's the European Union.
Fineas So Moldova today is focused on looking forward, and would like to join the EU.
Maxim Arghir Yes. Historically, the Soviet Union was, I call it, an occupation, right? No one in Moldova was asked whether they wanted to become part of the Soviet Union. It happened in the middle of events in Europe at that time. And the Soviet Union was trying to eliminate our identity: we faced deportations, famine, and aggressive Russification.
What the Soviet Union didn't understand is that you cannot build a society, the so-called Homo sovieticus, that way. There's a good book about this. You cannot build a true society just by building plants and factories. You cannot build a society with no rights and no liberties. In the end, it was only a matter of time before Moldova declared its independence. It happened in 1991, when a window of change opened. A society that doesn't offer any liberties will eventually seek independence.
Fineas Let's talk a little more about Moldova's historical, linguistic, and cultural connections. They go in several different directions: there are connections with Russia and with Romania. How does the country balance these different parts of its history while maintaining and developing a distinctly Moldovan identity?
Maxim Arghir It's complicated. I think the key is not to see these connections as mutually exclusive. Moldova has very deep historical and cultural connections with Romania. We speak Romanian, and we share an enormous cultural and historical heritage. But at the same time, Moldova's history also includes the Russian Empire. As you know, this part of Moldova was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1812. Then came the Soviet period, and generations of interaction with Ukrainian, Russian, Gagauz, Bulgarian, Jewish, and many other communities. All of these experiences have left their mark on the country.
A modern Moldovan identity does not have to erase that history. It can acknowledge its complexity while still being very clear about something fundamental: Moldova today is an independent European state. For me, that civic element is extremely important. Whatever language somebody speaks at home, and whatever cultural background they have, they can still feel fully part of Moldova.
Fineas We talked about this a little earlier, but I'd like to go further into European integration. When I was traveling in Moldova, I noticed EU signs on a number of roads and infrastructure projects indicating European support. What does closer integration with the EU mean for Moldova beyond economics and infrastructure? Is European integration also becoming a bigger part of the country's future identity?
Maxim Arghir Absolutely, yes. I think this is one of the most important things to understand about Moldova today. European integration is certainly about infrastructure and economics, but it's much more than that. It's about what kind of state Moldova wants to become: how independent our courts should be, how public institutions work, how corruption is addressed, how businesses operate, how citizens' rights are protected, and what standards of governance people should expect. In that sense, European integration is really a modernization project, and increasingly it has become part of Moldova's understanding of its future.
Moldova became a European Union candidate country in 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Formal accession negotiations began in 2024, and now we are negotiating concrete clusters of European legislation and standards. I think we opened clusters one and six in June and July of this year, respectively. That doesn't mean the transformation happens overnight. There is a great deal of difficult, sometimes technical, work ahead.
But psychologically, there has been an important change. Europe is no longer simply somewhere people travel or work. Increasingly, people in Moldova see themselves as part of Europe, and they want their country's institutions to reflect that. And if we look historically, Moldova was part of Europe. You can find Moldova on maps from 700 years ago. At that time, we were interacting with other countries, with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. We were independent until the Ottoman period. So it's not only about these 35 years of independence. It's about our heritage.
Fineas Moldova started seeking EU membership at the onset of the war in Ukraine. Could you talk about why that was the moment Moldova started to seek EU membership, and what the process of integrating with the EU looks like?
Maxim Arghir Well, the process started earlier. The war in Ukraine just accelerated it. The whole idea of European integration started after independence, in the 1990s. We faced difficulties along the way, and it wasn't always the right time to start the process. But in the end, we understood that the Russian Federation is a threat, and that having this Transnistrian conflict makes us vulnerable. The European Union is a space of security. I do not recall any war or conflict on the territory of the European Union since it was created in the 1950s, starting with the European Coal and Steel Community, right? I'm not sure exactly how to say it correctly in English.
Fineas Moving away from history for a minute, well, kind of: how do younger Moldovans, born after the Soviet Union disappeared, view their country differently from the generations that experienced the Soviet period?
Maxim Arghir There is obviously no single view among young Moldovans, but there is a very important generational difference. Someone who is 20 or 25 today has no personal memory of the Soviet Union. For them, Moldova has always been an independent country. For me it's different, because I do recall some images, some Soviet realities. The younger generation has also grown up with the internet, with much greater freedom to travel, study, and work abroad, and with much greater exposure to Europe and the wider world.
As a result, I think younger people often compare Moldova not with what existed 30 or 40 years ago, but with what exists today in Germany, Romania, France, the United States, or elsewhere. That creates high expectations, and that's a good thing. They expect public institutions to work, they expect opportunities, they expect transparency. And if those expectations are not met, they can leave. That is both Moldova's challenge and its opportunity. Young people are probably the generation least constrained by the Soviet past, but we need to give them enough reasons to build their future in Moldova.
Fineas Does that greater sense of liberty and freedom in the younger generation make the Moldovan government care more about giving people more freedoms and liberties?
Maxim Arghir Well, I think the government is more sensitive to hearing them, and to showing them how exactly our institutions can work for them, for their benefit. Yes.
Fineas If a high school student in California knows very little about Moldova today, what are two or three things you would most want them to understand about your country?
Maxim Arghir That's a good question. Well, first, don't think of Moldova simply as a former Soviet country. I personally try to avoid using that term. Moldova is a European country, with its own language, culture, history, and identity, and today it is undergoing a very significant transformation.
Second, Moldova is small, but its geographical position makes it much more important than its size might suggest. We are located between Romania and Ukraine, right at the intersection of some of the most important questions facing Europe today: democracy, security, and the future of the European project.
And third, I would tell them that Moldova is much more interesting than the stereotypes. Yes, we have excellent wine and a beautiful countryside, but we also have a growing technology sector, extremely talented young people, a global diaspora, and a society that is trying to transform itself very quickly. Perhaps the best way to understand Moldova is simply to visit. I think most people who visit Moldova are surprised by what they find.
Fineas So you would urge people to think less about Moldova's Soviet past, recognizing that Moldova had a history before the Soviet Union, and to look forward to Moldova's future as an integrated European country with a growing technology sector.
Maxim Arghir Yes, sure. Actually, we have something called MITP, the Moldova Innovation Technology Park, and it is becoming a great hub for startups, not only in Moldova but in the region. You can open a company or a startup there and benefit from fiscal facilities. It's quite technical, but economically it's very interesting for startups and for young people who want to launch a startup, or even work remotely, with fiscal incentives in Moldova. And actually, one of the companies in this park is now a finalist in a global startup competition, with the final in San Francisco in November. So it's quite a great result for some young people in Moldova.
Fineas I visited Moldova myself, and I'd be really interested in discussing the Transnistrian question, and specifically what a peaceful long-term solution could look like there. But I recognize that it's a very sensitive subject. So I do have a few questions about Transnistria, but obviously, only answer them to the extent you're comfortable.
Maxim Arghir Right. Yes, it's a complicated issue, but there are a couple of important things I can explain. The armed conflict took place in 1982 [1992], and since then the Transnistrian region has remained outside the effective control of the Moldovan authorities. Internationally, it is recognized as part of Moldova. There is no country that recognizes that region as independent. Moldova has consistently supported a peaceful solution.
And when we talk about reintegration, I think it's important not to think only about territory. We have to care about people. Most of the people living there are Moldovan citizens. People on both sides of the Dniester River have lived with this situation for more than 30 years, and many have family, business, and personal connections across the river. So a solution has to make their lives better, not more difficult. This is actually what the government is trying to do.
I think a long-term approach has to involve greater economic integration, freer movement, respect for human rights, confidence-building between people and communities, and ultimately a political arrangement within a unified, territorially whole Republic of Moldova. There is also the question of the Russian military presence, which Moldova has consistently said should be withdrawn. But Moldova has been very clear that reintegration must be achieved peacefully. I believe the best possible solution would be one in which people living in Transnistria themselves increasingly see that being part of a stable, democratic Moldova, a future European Union member state, offers them better opportunities and greater security.
Actually, today we had a visit in Chișinău from Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, and she said that the process of European integration will eventually make Moldova more attractive to people from Transnistria, so they choose the better life Moldova is offering them. For example, they have so-called Transnistrian passports, which they can't use to travel abroad, so they use Moldovan passports. They use the Moldovan system of benefits, for example pensions. A lot of them live in Tiraspol and Bender and go to work in Chișinău every day. They have businesses and jobs in Moldova, which pay better.
Fineas So Transnistria is still fairly integrated with the rest of Moldova day to day. The real question I want to ask is what it means that they operate separately. Could you talk a little about the level of sovereignty Transnistria operates with? When I went there, there was a proper border we had to cross, and there were Russian soldiers. How independent is Transnistria from the rest of Moldova?
Maxim Arghir I won't comment on how independent they are, because from our perspective they are not independent. This is, in fact, a frozen conflict, and in the end they are backed by Russia. There are separatist authorities, so-called authorities, which operate in Transnistria. Financially they are not doing well, and Russia is trying to finance them.
When we discuss the military presence, we have to distinguish between two things. There are Russian troops stationed there to guard ammunition, in the northern part of Transnistria, in Cobasna. And there are the so-called peacekeepers, which is a distortion, right? There are checkpoints, supposedly to keep the peace after the ceasefire. When we speak about Russian troops, there are about 2,000 stationed there. And in 1999, at the OSCE summit in Istanbul, Russia promised to withdraw its troops from Transnistria, which it didn't do.
Fineas With Russia economically supporting them and keeping troops stationed in the region, and Transnistrians often crossing over to work in Moldova, what do you think Transnistrians want to happen?
Maxim Arghir It's a good question, but it's complicated to answer, because we have to understand the reality there. When we speak about Transnistria, we have to understand that there is a lot of disinformation in many places, right? TV stations and radio with propaganda. It's not working to create liberty or to protect rights there.
You know what the biggest difference between Chișinău and Tiraspol is? In Chișinău, you can hold a peaceful protest in front of the government. It's your right to protest. If you do the same thing in Tiraspol, there's a big chance you will be arrested. That's the biggest difference. And I think people from Tiraspol, from Bender, from the left bank, step by step see this difference, and all the benefits they have from being part of Moldova: working in Moldova, having better salaries, having access to a better education, traveling abroad. Moldovan citizens do not need visas to travel to the European Union, so you can just buy a plane ticket to Paris, Berlin, Rome, or Madrid. It's so easy, and I think it's great. It's a feeling of liberty and freedom, that you have rights and you are valued as an individual.
And step by step, as I said, it's not an overnight process. Reintegration is an ongoing process. It will be finished when the majority of people there ask themselves the big question: why do we have to live in this so-called Transnistria, when this so-called country does not represent us and does not offer us rights, liberties, and opportunities? I think that is the main process, and it is already underway, with Moldova better placed politically, socially, and economically.
Fineas So you think that Transnistrians, although they may feel a connection to Russia, or may be ethnically Russian, are going through that process of integration because of the benefits of being Moldovan?
Maxim Arghir Yes. I think what is important to understand is that there is no problem being Russian, or speaking Russian, in Moldova. That's a difference, and a benefit they can have as part of Moldova. Surely you've been in Chișinău and saw a lot of people speaking Russian, and no one has a problem with it. It's okay to speak English, Russian, or Romanian; no one will have a problem with you. This is the quality Moldova is offering them. But they have to understand that if they want it, they have to be part of Moldova, and help build a better place, not for the government, not for institutions, not for officials, but for themselves, their families, and their children.
Fineas In what way, if at all, does the Transnistrian issue hold the rest of Moldova back from joining more international institutions, like the EU or NATO?
Maxim Arghir Well, surely it's a somewhat different situation. I'll give you an example. If you had a big sum of money and wanted to invest somewhere in Eastern Europe, you'd ask: what's the best place to invest? Is it Moldova, with a conflict, or, say, Romania? It can be a problem. But I think we have tackled the situation, and Moldova offers a great platform between East and West, with opportunities to start your startup.
It's an interesting issue with an interesting history, but I think that in the end the whole process of integration will resolve it. There's a good chance the Transnistrian conflict will be resolved through the process of European integration, because in the end people will understand that being part of a European Union member state offers them better opportunities, better salaries, and education. So maybe we can use this integration process as a tool to resolve the Transnistrian conflict.
Fineas A quick question about a rather famous quote from Vladimir Putin. He famously described the collapse of the Soviet Union as one of the greatest geopolitical catastrophes of the 20th century, and he explained that one reason was that roughly 25 million Russians suddenly found themselves living outside the Russian Federation. As a Moldovan diplomat, how do you interpret that, and does that idea have any particular significance for Moldova? The Transnistrian identity exists in part because of the Russian diaspora in that region. How do you see that view of the Soviet collapse influencing Russia's approach to Moldova today?
Maxim Arghir Well, I'm happy the Soviet Union does not exist anymore, because, as I said, the Soviet Union was a prison of nations. Just to give an example: we share a common heritage with Romania, right? We speak the same language, we have the same food, the same traditions. And still, people living in Moldova were not able to travel to Romania. Today you need a visa to travel to some places. In the Soviet Union, you had to be granted an exit visa just to leave the country. That is not natural, right? It was a closed country, because it was a terror, an evil empire. And thank God it collapsed.
I understand that some Russians settled and remained in these former Soviet countries. But I know a lot of Russians who live in the United States. They chose to stay in the United States, or elsewhere. So I think it's about the liberty to choose where you live, where you develop yourself and your opportunities. I know a lot of Russians who are great Moldovan citizens. They are part of Moldova, and every day they are working to build a stronger Moldova.
What the Soviet Union didn't understand is that diversity is a strength. Today in Moldova we have a lot of Ukrainian refugees who are living and working there. They have businesses, they have children who go to Moldovan schools, and they are part of Moldovan society. I don't see this as a threat to our sovereignty and independence. They are part of our society, and if in the future they want to become Moldovan citizens, they can, which is great.
Fineas So you would say that Moldovan national identity extends across ethnic lines, and that Putin's idea of reclaiming Russian-speaking communities is sort of just an excuse for aggression?
Maxim Arghir Sure. His idea is 100% malice. Russia is now a threat, not only for small countries, or for Ukraine, but for all of us who look at things the same way: societies with rights, liberties, and security. That's why we should be united and face these threats to our way of life and to our countries. A very important thing we have to understand is that it's not about expanding boundaries. It's about our way of life, about understanding what is important for us: freedom, liberty, and rights.
Fineas So it goes against everything the international community has worked for since the end of World War II, with the UN. Russian aggression and nationalism really contradict that.
Maxim Arghir I think so, yes, because if we look historically, and I can speak about Moldova: part of Moldova was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1812. Bessarabia, which was part of Romania between the wars, was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. And then in 1992 we had a war in the eastern part of our country. So when we speak about the threat, we have to understand how Russia operates. Russia is using the same old principle of empire, divide et impera, which I think the Romans invented. When Russia smells weakness, it will use it in its own interest. That's why it's important to stay united, to stay strong, and to face all these threats.
Fineas The Transnistrian issue doesn't get a huge amount of international attention, and I don't think it's very well understood. What's something you think most people outside Moldova often misunderstand about the dispute?
Maxim Arghir It's important to understand that we live in a world with rules, right? When we speak about a country, we have to keep in mind that country's integrity and sovereignty. Internationally, Moldova is recognized as an independent and sovereign country, with recognized boundaries. And I think this is an important rule, the basis of international relations, right? We have the Helsinki agreement of 1975, which says that a boundary can be changed only by mutual agreement between countries. War is not an instrument. That's why I think it's important to understand this, not only when we speak about Moldova or Transnistria, but about every country in Europe.
Fineas Moldova's national identity isn't tied to one ethnicity, and Russians can of course be equally Moldovan. But Transnistria still seems to have a somewhat different identity. So when Moldova talks about the eventual reintegration of the Transnistrian region, what would that actually mean for the people who live there? And what assurances could they have regarding their language, culture, and political rights, and their ability to maintain their own identity?
Maxim Arghir I don't know how we can speak of a Transnistrian identity, because there is no difference between the people living on the left bank and the right bank of the Dniester. People are all the same: Moldovans, Russians, Ukrainians, Gagauz, Bulgarians. I don't think you can build a separate Transnistrian identity in a couple of years. By that logic, we would build an identity for every small village, and we cannot. Moldova is an internationally recognized country, and I think it's important to build, within these boundaries, a strong country that will preserve and protect the rights of its people.
Fineas Thank you so much for doing this.
Maxim Arghir Thank you. It was a pleasure for me to be able to speak with you. Thank you very much. And I wish your viewers... As I said, I think the best way to understand our part of Europe, and Moldova, is to visit Moldova. So I encourage them to visit when they have the opportunity to be in Europe, and to discover how great our places, food, traditions, and people are.
I understand that Moldova is not very well known in this part of the United States, so this is a great thing you are doing. It's work you are doing for us, too, because the more people who discover Moldova through your project, the more of them will search about Moldova and read about its history and what is happening there. That's great. I'm always telling the Moldovan community here in Sacramento that they are actually the greatest ambassadors of Moldova here, because they share our culture and language when interacting with locals. Even though most of them are American citizens, when we talk about our places of origin, people are interested in the places and the traditions. That's a great way to discover us. Hopefully we'll have other chances to speak, and you'll be invited to the events we organize here at the consulate.
Fineas That would be amazing. Thank you. I completely agree: there's no better way to understand a country than to travel there, especially a place like Moldova. I absolutely loved my time there, and it really sparked an interest in the region and the country for me.