Top European bank to finance programmes on Moldovan business environment

Chisinau, 13 March /MOLDPRES/- Deputy Prime Minister, Economics Minister Stephane Bride today met Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Representative Office in Moldova Julia Otto. The two officials discussed the work of the bank in Moldova, revised the projects carried out with the EBRD financing, as well as cooperation perspectives, sources of the Economics Ministry have reported.

Bride said that, to develop Moldova's economic potential, and to turn to good account the opportunities of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, the quality of the business environment and investment climate needed to be changed.

For her part, Otto presented the EBRD priorities for the next three years, included in the new Strategy for Moldova (2014-2017). Thus, EBRD focuses its strategy on improvement of business environment, promotion of European standards and sustainable development of municipal enterprises. Also, the official assured that the financing programmes under way would be continued.

At the end of the meeting, Bride appreciated the results of cooperation with the EBRD local team. At the same time, he highlighted the investment programmes implemented in Moldova in the energy sector, such as the Financing Line for Energy Efficiency in Moldova and Energy Efficiency Financing Facility in the residential sector in Moldova.

Also, the economics minister thanked for EBRD's contribution to elaborating a feasibility study on a project for electricity interconnection between Ukraine and Moldova to the ENTSO-E European system, project on modernising the domestic power transmission network of the Moldelectrica enterprise etc. Stephane Bride said the projects met the needs of the business environment, as well as backed the government's policies in the energy sector.

(Reporter A. Mardare, editor A. Răileanu)