President Sandu says her resounding victory in the parliamentary vote means an end to the "rule of bandits"

On Sunday, a cameraman for the private outlet “TV Pirveli” Aleksandre Lashkarava, who had been badly beaten and hospitalised, died at home.

Though an armistice is largely holding, border disputes remain common, and a final peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia is elusive.

Havard-educated Sandu won last year’s presidential election by a landslide against Socialist Igor Dodon – widely viewed as Russia’s man in the country sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania.

The 3.9 billion euro aid package consists of a 1.17 billion euro grant and a loan.