Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman will take off Thursday for a visit in Moldova. He be in the capital city of Chisinau (formerly known as Kishinev), where he will meet with his Moldavian counterpart, with the Deputy Prime Minister and with other national leaders.
Lieberman has increased Israel's outreach to eastern Europe and the Balkans, as part of a policy of developing ties with parts of the world overlooked by previous foreign ministers.
During visits to Europe, Lieberman and his deputy Danny Ayalon have called on the European Union to threaten the PA with financial consequences if it fails to comply with the International Quartet's conditions. The foreign minister has also worked to persuade European governments not to support the PA's bid to declare statehood unilaterally and to claim ownership of disputed lands.
Lieberman's tough stance has won him support at home. A poll published Tuesday found that he is the leading candidate among Israeli youth, 17% of whom said they would like to see him as the next Prime Minister.
Aside from the many diplomatic meetings he has planned, Lieberman also plans to make time for the Jewish community. He has scheduled visits to local Jewish schools and to a memorial for the Jews of Chisinau murdered in pogroms and in the Holocaust.
In addition, he plans to meet with an Israeli delegation that is in the country for a NATO exercise.