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Moldovan-Spanish relations are foreign relations between Spain and Moldova. On 30 January 1992 Spain established diplomatic relations with Moldova. As of 2009 Spain does not have an Embassy in Chişinău. Spain is represented in Moldova via its embassy in Bucharest in Romania.
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In 2008, the Spanish government indicated that 12,582 Moldovan citizens were legally working there. Spain is a significant investor in Moldova through Unión Fenosa which owns three of Moldova's five energy distribution companies.
History
On January 30, 1992 Spain established diplomatic relations with Moldova. The spokesman of Foreign Affairs Department of the Popular Party, Javier Rupérez, headed the Spanish delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on 23 February 1994 to Chişinău to observe the development of the first democratic elections in Moldova. The observers maintained contacts with the first President of Moldova Snegur and other authorities of the country. In the same date the then Spanish president, Felipe González, sent a letter to the Moldovan Government explaining the benefits that the entrance in the "Association for Peace" of NATO would suppose for Moldova. González promised in its message that Spain followed with interest the development of the events in Moldova and was prepared to propose initiatives that contributed to the security and the stability in the zone.
On 8 July 1997 Petru Lucinschi, and Mihai Popov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs attended a NATO summit in Madrid. In 1998, Spain was not represented in Chişinău, but used its Embassy in Bucharest.
In September 2000, Petru Lucinschi met in New York with José María Aznar, President of the Spanish Government at the Millennium Summit. On 6 November 2000 the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Ramon de Miguel, traveled to Moldova to carry out a visit of work of two days during which he analyzed the bilateral relations with the president of the Republic, Petru Lucinschi, and with prime minister, Dumitru Braghis. Miguel also met with the Deputy Prime-Minister for Defense Affairs, Valeriu Cosarciuc, the Minister of Exteriors, Nicolae Tabacuru and the Vice-Minister, Iurie Leanca, as well as with the President of the Commission for Transnistria Vasile Sturza, a group of Spanish industralists and several members of the Moldovan Parliament. During his stay in Moldova, Miguel inaugurated the Center of Hispanic Studies at the State University of Moldova. The trip was consequence of the meeting that in September had maintained in New York Lucinschi with the president of the Spanish Government, José Maria Aznar. Also in 2000 Spanish military experts visited to Moldova to report on the War of Transnistria. Their trip was cut short and they returned home after 2 days after local authorities suspended their visit.
In October 2005, the new ambassador of Spain in Bucharest, Juan Pablo Garci'a-Berdoy, visited Chişinău to offer credentials and he met with the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eugenia Kistruga. The Vice-Minister communicated to the ambassador the possibility of opening the Embassy of Moldova in Madrid in 2006 or 2007. He asked for the opening of the Embassy of Spain in Chişinău. The first visit to Spain by a Moldovan foreign minister took place on 5 October 2006.
There was a visit to Madrid on 6 October 2006 by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, Andrei Stratan. He emphasized the new bilateral relations between Spain and Moldova.
In March 2007 Moldova hoped that with Spain in the Presidency of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe they would have mediation in the Transnistrian conflict. In May 2007 a meeting on the conflict took place in Madrid. Representing Spain was D. José María Pons and Miguel Ángel Moratinos of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In October 2007 The Spanish minister made his first-ever visit to Chişinău. A formal announcement was made of Chişinău's intention to open Moldova's embassy in Madrid.
Economics
Spain is a significant investor in Moldova with the presence of the energy company Union Fenosa which owns three of Moldova's five energy distribution companies. Spain is the third foreign investor in Moldova since the year 2000. Spain's commerce between Moldova is listed below in millions of €: