Young people from Moldova, breakaway Transnistrian region create business platform

Chisinau, 24 October /MOLDPRES/ - A number of 41 young people from both sides of the Dniester River has been working on business development plans and created a platform for collaboration that will facilitate the development of future partnerships for young entrepreneurs.

The young people assembled at a conference organised by AXA Management Consulting and Chamber of Commerce and Industry from the breakaway Transnistrian region. The event is part of a project funded by the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) within a programme titled "Support to Confidence Building Measures".

The participants were selected on the basis of a business plans competition for young people aged between 18 and 35 years. The selected persons, besides a grant of up to 15,000 dollars, benefit from individual consultancy for a period of 10 months and assistance for purchasing  equipment and raw materials needed to start or develop their businesses. So far, the 41 beneficiaries from both banks of the Dniester have bought the necessary equipment and started their businesses successfully, already creating 150 new jobs.

Under the Support to Confidence Building Measures programme, the European Union and UNDP financially and technically support the joint activities of people from both banks of Dniester in five key areas: business development, social infrastructure renovation, health care, and environment protection. The EU-UNDP “Support to Confidence Building Measures” Programme is implemented during 2012-2015 and has an overall budget of 10.6 million euros.