Iurie Leancă was born on October 20, 1963, in Cimișlia. His father is Moldovan and his mother Bulgarian.[1][2] He graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations and from 1986 until 1993, Leancă worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Between June and October 1989, he served as second secretary at the Soviet embassy in Bucharest, Romania, first secretary in the political department of the foreign ministry of the Soviet Moldavia (1989–1990), and counselor of Moldova's Minister of Foreign Affairs specializing in European affairs (1990–1993).[3]