On July 3, the delegations of the Governments of the Republic of Moldova and the Federal Republic of Germany met in Chisinau to discuss cooperation for future development. German Delegation was led by the Parliamentary State Secretary from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Niels Annen, and the Moldovan one by the Secretary of State from the Ministry of Finance, Ion Gumene. This was reported by the press service of the German Embassy in Moldova.
During the negotiations, German officials assured their support for the improvement
of economic prospects for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova and in the implementation of reforms with a view to the country’s accession to the EU. The parties also agreed on the priorities of cooperation, which include investment promotion, energy, local development, and good governance. On July 3, Germany announced, as part of the negotiations, an additional support of 45 million euros for the current year and next year.
The key areas of additional support focus on the implementation of public administration and public finance management reforms, which are important priorities in the initiation of the accession negotiations of the Republic of Moldova to the EU, on improving access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as on the professional inclusion capacity of young people, especially women. Also, the governments of the two countries committed to undertake joint efforts to increase the energy security of the Republic of Moldova, ensuring an increased share of renewable energy.
The head of the German delegation, the parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Niels Annen, said: “Moldova is still feeling the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. However, the people and the Government of the Republic of Moldova have demonstrated that they can integrate refugees and can overcome the energy crisis. Now it is important to implement the reforms that are the conditions for the start of EU accession negotiations, especially in the field of public administration and the fight against corruption. In addition, businesses need reliable investment conditions, and young people need means of livelihood to build their future at home. In these efforts, the Republic of Moldova can count on the support of German assistance.”
For his part, the head of the delegation of the Republic of Moldova, the state secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Ion Gumene, said: “Germany is among the main partners and a reliable supporter of the Republic of Moldova. We appreciate Germany’s flexibility and openness. Active cooperation, based on respect, support, and communication, will bring our bilateral relations to a high level and generate effective results for both sides, and the negotiations launched today are a very suitable platform for strengthening development cooperation. I am convinced that today’s negotiations and the proposals of both parties will contribute to the deepening of bilateral cooperation and the identification of major investment projects of mutual interest”.
In 2023, Moldovan-German cooperation turns 30 years old. The value of the assistance allocated by Germany to the Republic of Moldova from 1993 to 2022 is 281.9 million euros.