Moldovan PM, European Commission's vice president discuss benefits of European programmes for Moldova

Chisinau, 8 February /MOLDPRES/ - Opportunities opened for Moldova following the joining of  European programmes were discussed at a meeting between Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita and Vice President of the European Commission for Promoting our European Way of Life Margaritis Schinas in Brussels today, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.   

The officials referred to the benefits of Moldova’s accession to the EU4Health Programme, which will give the country more instruments both for the management of eventual crises in the health sector and for strengthening the public health system.  

Also, the successful implementation of the programme will open the way for cooperation in other sectors, such as the pharmaceutical industry and modernization of hospitals. ‘’The new status of country candidate for accession to EU gives us a clear direction of development and prompt us to use all opportunities to transform our ambitions into reality,’’ Natalia Gavrilita said.

According to the PM, Moldova is already part of European mechanisms, such as the one of solidarity for medical transfers of refugees, who need assistance in EU states. At the same time, Natalia Gavrilita referred to the mechanism of temporary protection of refugees, recently approved by the cabinet, which will provide more stability and access to diverse services to people who ruled to remain in Moldova.  

The sides also discussed the strengthening of the Moldova-EU cooperation in the social protection sector, as well as Moldova’s opportunity to participate in the DiscoverEU programme, which would give the people from Moldova who turned 18 years possibility to travel for free to EU member states, in order to visit countries and cities. The prime minister noted that the programme of cultural vouchers for young people, recently adopted in Moldova, was based on the same concept of investments in young people’s multilateral development. In discussions, the PM welcomed the EU’s initiative to declare 2023 as European Year of Skills.  

„I am looking forward to us to also join the activities planned. We must invest much in the professional education and help people get the skills fit, in order to contribute to the edification of a European Moldova. Our goal of accession to EU till 2030 and the capacities necessary to this end will need the transformation of this Year of skills into a decade of skills,’’ the prime minister also said.     

Photo: Government