Switzerland has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Republic of Moldova by officially launching its 2025-2028 Cooperation Programme. The 4-year programme has a total budget of 104 million Swiss Francs (CHF), equivalent to almost 2.1 billion Moldovan Lei. The annual budget of this new Cooperation Programme will continue to be more than twice as high as before the start of the war in Ukraine.
The launch event of the new Swiss Cooperation Programme took place on 10 April and gathered more than 200 participants, including government officials, representatives of local and central public authorities, development partners and civil society organizations.
“In a context of regional instability, but also considering Moldova’s aspirations for a promising future, Switzerland will continue to cooperate with Moldova with the intention of promoting sustainable development, prosperity and stability”, said Didier Chassot, Assistant Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in his welcoming speech.
„Today we see here people who have benefited in various ways from the Swiss cooperation programmes in Moldova: people who have been at the forefront of the programs, people whose daily lives have been improved, and people who will continue to further bring change in their communities. And this is only the tip of the iceberg, because beneficiaries of the Swiss Cooperation Programme in Moldova can be found in every region, city, town or village”, said Ana Calinici, State Secretary of the Government, State Chancellery of the Republic of Moldova.
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About the Swiss Cooperation Programme in Moldova 2025-2028
With the new programme, Switzerland aims at responding to the consequences of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, while supporting Moldova’s reforms on its trajectory towards European integration. The programme contributes to improving the well-being of Moldova’s population and the cohesion of its society, with a special focus on the inclusion of disadvantages groups. A greater emphasis is placed on addressing climate change and adapting to extreme weather events.
The Swiss Cooperation Programme in Moldova 2025-2028 focuses on three priority areas:
– Governance and social cohesion, with a budget of CHF 30 million. The projects under this priority area support democracy, the rule of law, and civic engagement in order to foster an inclusive and stable society. Switzerland also helps local authorities to better fulfil their mandates by focusing on the main needs of their constituencies. The Swiss-funded interventions also foster dialogue across societal divides and contribute to inclusive nation-building.
– Economic development and resilience, with a budget of CHF 35.5 million. Interventions under this priority area focus on enhancing skills and promoting employment and income opportunities, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and local farmers impacted by the war in Ukraine, as well as on promoting the economic empowerment of women and the integration of refugees from Ukraine into the Moldovan labour market.
– Health and local public services, with a budget of CHF 36.5 million. Interventions under this priority area aim at improving the quality and the accessibility of health services and of basic local public services, such as water supply and solid waste management. Switzerland supports Moldova in strengthening the capacity of the health system to better respond to future crises, with focus on the primary healthcare, the emergency care and rehabilitation services.
In addition to these priority areas, Switzerland continues to support cultural initiatives and civil society projects through the Small Grants Programme with a budget of CHF 2 million.
Under the previous Cooperation Programme 2018-2024, Switzerland had allocated over 133 million CHF to three main domains of intervention: Health, Local Governance, as well as Economic Development and Employment. Furthermore, it provided humanitarian aid and rapid responses to multiple crises faced by Moldova, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the energy crises and the influx of refugees.
Through its new Cooperation Programme, Switzerland further strengthens its long-term and close partnership with the Republic of Moldova, fostering prosperity and stability in Moldova and on the European continent.