It was an extraordinary 2-3 days, including

  1. a meeting with the Moldovan expatriate community
  2. meetings with officials from the state of North Carolina, with whom Moldova has a special relationship.
  3. meetings with IMF head Strauss-Kahn, World Bank head Zoellick, UN head Ban Ki Moon and UNDP head Helen Clark
  4. meetings with US Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
  5. The signing of a $262m grant facility for rehabilitating roads and irrigation facilities.
All up, it was perhaps the most high-powered visit ever made by Moldovan ministers.  On the face of it, there was nothing said or announced that we didn't already know about.  On the other hand, the language used by Biden and Clinton in particular was strongly supportive of Moldova's aspirations, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were other matters of import discussed that we mere mortals can only guess at.

As a PR opportunity for the PM and FM it was unparalleled.  Images of the two Moldovans shoulder to shoulder with some of the World's most powerful people will go a long way to ameliorate the popularity that Vladimir Voronin gained by being seen alongside Russian leaders Putin and Medvedev at various wreath-laying ceremonies.

Hopefully the $262m will be spent quickly and wisely, and will result in visible improvements.