Government recalls Dumitru Socolan as Moldova’s ambassador to Japan
The government has approved the recall of Ambassador Dumitru Socolan from Japan, based on the proposal of Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The decision to recall Dumitru Socolan was made during a meeting on March 25, although no specific reasons were provided for this action.
Dumitru Socolan has been serving as the Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Japan since November 2021. In July 2023, he also took on the role of Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, with residence in Tokyo.
Prior to his role in Japan, he was the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MAEIE) from November 2019 to August 2021.
Throughout his diplomatic career, Socolan has held various positions, including Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Portugal and, concurrently, to the Kingdom of Morocco, from 2016 to 2019. Additionally, he held two terms as the Consul General of the Republic of Moldova in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
In an interview with Radio Moldova a year ago, which coincided with the upcoming 33rd anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Moldova and Japan on March 16, 2025, Socolan emphasized a positive trend in bilateral economic cooperation. He noted that bilateral trade increased by approximately 60.34% in 2024 compared to 2021, reaching a total value of 113.2 million US dollars.
According to Socolan, the most significant success was in Moldovan wine exports, which nearly doubled during this period. He also mentioned the one million euro aid provided by the Government of Japan to support the Republic of Moldova, highlighting that this assistance intensified following the escalation of Russian military aggression in Ukraine.
