UN Secretary-General makes surprise visit to Moldova after trip to Odessa

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Moldova on Friday night on a surprise visit, having traveled by car from Odessa, the Moldovan president’s press office said, Azernews reports.

"The stopover in Chisinau, which had not initially been planned in the itinerary announced by the United Nations, took place after Guterres had visited Odesa on Friday to see firsthand how the agreement on Ukrainian grain exports is being implemented," the press office said in a statement.

Guterres is expected to hold a meeting with Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Saturday before flying to Istanbul, where he will wrap up his European tour by visiting the Joint Coordination Center, which oversees the implementation of the deal on Ukrainian grain exports.