PHOTO // Moldova requests EU's support for Ungheni–Chisinau railway, Iasi–Ungheni–Chisinau highway

Deputy Prime Minister, Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister Vladimir Bolea asked for support from the European Commission for advancing infrastructure projects aimed at better connecting Moldova to the European transport network, during his working visit to Brussels on September 28-30.

One of the main topics discussed with Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), was the construction of the Ungheni–Chisinau railway with European-gauge track. The feasibility study for the project is currently being prepared with JASPERS support, and the Moldovan authorities requested that it remain among the European Commission’s strategic priorities, as well as support in identifying funding sources.

The Iasi–Ungheni–Chisinau highway was also discussed. The pre-feasibility stage has been completed and the procedure for preparing the feasibility study is currently under way. The Moldovan side asked for EU’s support for including the project in future European funding programmes.

Another important topic for Moldovan carriers was the liberalized regime for road freight transport between Moldova and the European Union. The current agreement is valid until March 31, 2027 and the Moldovan authorities requested that discussions on its extension be initiated in good time, so that carriers can continue to benefit from the liberalized regime for bilateral and transit operations.

The meetings also covered progress in harmonizing transport legislation with European standards. According to the Infrastructure and Regional Development Ministry, 98 draft legislative acts are currently at advanced stages of promotion, transposing 144 European Union acts. Fifty-nine 59 drafts of them are undergoing assessment by the European Commission.

Vladimir Bolea also met with Peter Wagner, Director at the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, to discuss connectivity and railway infrastructure, including in the context of the Solidarity Lanes initiative. The cooperation with this service includes 20 million euros in financial support provided to Moldova for the reconstruction of sections of the North–South railway corridor, along the Valcinet–Ocnita–Balti–Ungheni–Chisinau–Cainari route.

The agenda of the visit to Brussels also includes meetings with European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, representatives of the European Investment Bank and officials from Ukraine’s Ministry for Communities and Territories Development. The discussions focus on road infrastructure projects supported by the EIB, including the Rascani–Briceni section and Lot III of the Chisinau municipal bypass, as well as Moldovan-Ukrainian cooperation in the transport sector.

On September 28-30, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Vladimir Bolea, together with State Secretary Mircea Pascaluta and Deputy Secretary-General Tatiana Nirca, is participating in meetings and events dedicated to the development of infrastructure and European connectivity, as part of the Connecting Europe Days in Brussels. The visit’s agenda includes important issues for Moldova’s transport infrastructure: the development of rail and road connections, cross-border connectivity projects with the EU and Ukraine, European support for infrastructure and Moldova’s integration into European transport networks.