Moldova, Romania might sign agreement on non-refundable financial assistance worth 100 million euros

Chisinau, 9 December /MOLDPRES/ - The cabinets of ministers from Moldova and Romania will convene at a joint meeting in early 2022. A decision to this end was taken at a today’s meeting between Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita and her Romanian counterpart Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca in Bucharest, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.    

At a the meeting at the Victoria Palace, the two PMs discussed the implementation of concrete projects, including the construction of new bridges, energy interconnection, ensuring the energy security, concluding a new agreement on non-refundable assistance for Moldova, connection of Moldova’s transport infrastructure to the European networks and cutting the roaming tariffs.

Thus, Moldova and Romania will be able to soon sign a new agreement on non-refundable financial assistance worth 100 million euros, provided to Moldova, as the old agreement expired in last March. The statement was made at a news conference held by the two prime ministers.    

„A better economic, commercial and in the infrastructure sector integration with Romania is the guarantee of our country’s accelerated integration into EU. The roadmap on the priority sectors of cooperation fits into a natural continuity of our friendship relation,’’ the Moldovan PM said.

Natalia Gavrilita thanked Romania for the support provided to Moldova on the pandemic period, to ensure the country’s energy security, as well as in the European integration process.

„Romania has always been by the side of Moldova in the most difficult moments in the last years – the Covid-19 pandemic and the energy crisis. I take advantage of this occasion to offer our sincerest thanks for Romania’s generous solidarity towards our citizens, who benefited from hundreds of thousands of anti-Covid vaccines or towards the physicians from Moldova, who received protection equipment and other materials when they could be found with difficulty on international markets. In the context of the energy crisis, Romania again gave a helping hand to Moldova, with the gas delivered in last October helping us to keep the pressure in the system, amid the limitations of the volume of gas which we faced. Also, due to the finishing of the natural gas transport pipeline Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau, Moldova will be able to make important steps in ensuring the  energy independence and security,’’ Natalia Gavrilita noted.        

For his part, Prime Minister Ciuca appreciated the support provided to Moldova in the fight against the SARS-Cov-2 virus. ‘’I thanked Mrs. Prime Minister for the particularly appreciated assistance provided by medical teams from Moldova in last November, in the context of the fourth violent wave of the Covid-19 pandemic,’’ the Romanian official said.     

The Romanian PM also said that the today’s meeting would lay the foundations of new beneficial cooperation for the citizens from both banks of Prut and would deepen the Moldovan-Romanian relations at the level of authorities.

„The today’s visit marks the continuity of the joint effort on enforcement of the bilateral agenda, which is ambitious and oriented towards future. We established to have an intense, pragmatic and efficient cooperation, not only at the level of government, but also at the level of each cabinet member. We highlighted the common need of extension in the economic sector, having an excellent starting point: Romania is the first commercial partner of Moldova. Yet, we want much more. We support the consolidation of the presence of Romanian investments in Moldova and for this, the business environment from beyond the Prut river will have to be improved,’’ Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca said.   

Another important subject discussed at the meeting was the energy inter-connection between Romania and Moldova through the implementation of infrastructure projects. A central role in Moldova’s connection to the European space will be the construction of an iron bridge in Ungheni. As well as the consolidation of the road bridge Galati-Giurgiulesti.  

As for the future projects, the PM of Romania said: ‘’We pursue the development of projects in such fields as justice and internal affairs health, education, labour, agriculture, research, culture, environment, as well as assistance for development. These are projects with positive impact for all citizens, including to support the process of reforms and modernization.’’

The Moldovan prime minister reiterated Moldova’s commitment to continue the EU integration process. ‘’The European Union is the strategic priority of the cabinet I lead. Presently, we are committed and we focus the efforts on the implementation of the provisions of the Moldova-EU Association Agreement. Moldova closely cooperates with EU in the process of advancement of the key reforms – rule of law state, justice, combating corruption, as well as in the promotion of the economic recovery, management of the problems related to the COVID-19 and strengthening the state institutions,’’ Natalia Gavrilita said.   

Photo: Government