Representatives of local, regional authorities of Latvia on visit to Moldova's government for experience sharing on local public administration reform

Thirty-two mayors and representatives of local and regional public authorities from Latvia have shared their experience in transforming local public administration, in order to make local governance more efficient and stimulate the development of local communities. The visit of the Association of Regional Development Centres and Regions of Latvia to Moldova is taking place on May 12-16, 2026.

During the discussions, the sided exchanged experience on the strengthening of local public administration, regional development and preparation for the efficient access to European funds. Latvia has gone through two major stages of local administration reorganization: in 2009 and in 2020. At present, the average population of an administrative-territorial unit in Latvia is about 41,000 people.

The Secretary General of the Government Alexei Buzu emphasized the importance of strengthening the capacities of local authorities, in the context of the European path of Moldova. “Latvia’s experience is relevant for Moldova, in the context of our administrative modernization process and the objective of European integration. The consolidation of town halls and the empowerment of teams is an important condition for capitalizing on the opportunities provided by European funds,” noted Alexei Buzu.

The representatives of local public authorities from Latvia highlighted that strong, well-organized local authorities with sufficient administrative resources can bring communities to a new level of development through the efficient absorption of EU funds. At the same time, they underlined the need to develop road, transport and services infrastructure, required for the successful implementation of the local public administration reform.

Presently, local public administration of Moldova is undergoing a major reform. An essential part of the local public administration reform is the voluntary amalgamation of mayoralties, which has been simplified by the government, with 512 decisions adopted so far. More information about the local public administration reform can be found on the platform www.primariiputernice.gov.md.