The Moldovan capital
After over a year of suspension, Wizz Air has announced the resumption of flights between Budapest and Chișinău, reports Turizmus.com.
The capital of Moldova, Chișinău (known as Kisinyov or Kisjenő in Hungarian), located on the banks of the Bîc River, is one of the region’s key centers and one of the greenest cities on the continent. The many forests, parks, zoos, and botanical gardens are too numerous to take the time to explore, but the architectural jewels, cathedrals, churches, and many cultural events such as theater and ballet performances make it a great place to visit.
Wizz Air suspended its flights to Chișinău a year ago for safety reasons.
The service between the two capitals operates twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays, providing travelers with a fast and convenient connection.
As Hungary Today previously reported, back then the company wrote in a statement that: “Safety of passengers and crew remain Wizz Air’s number one priority. Following the recent developments in Moldova and the elevated, but not imminent, risk in the country’s airspace, Wizz Air has made the difficult but responsible decision to suspend all flights to Chișinău from March 14.” The small, vulnerable country between Romania and Ukraine has been divided over its allegiance towards Russia by its sizeable Russian minority on the one hand, and by its close ties towards ethnically-close Romania on the other hand. It should be noted that Wizz Air’s security fears were not unfounded: Moldova had to close its airspace several times last year due to either debris falling onto its territory from Ukraine, or suspected Russian missiles flying over its territory via the Black Sea.
Fact
Hungary and Moldova have been developing closer relations for some time. In January this year, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks with his Moldovan counterpart, Dorin Recean, and it was announced that Moldova will continue to count on Hungary’s support in the EU integration process. The Hungarian Prime Minister emphasized that: “Hungary has always supported Moldova’s EU membership, and we will continue to do so; there is no compromise, no discussion.” Moldova is making steady progress towards EU membership and Hungary recognizes the geopolitical context that requires accelerated accession, he added.
The two countries have maintained diplomatic relations for 32 years, signed a strategic partnership agreement four years ago, and trade between Hungary and Moldova has reached a record high of USD 200 million.
Via Turizmus.com; Featured image via Facebook/World Roamers
