EU to Unfreeze Finansial Aid for Moldova

After the change of power in Chisinau, the EU resumes providing financial assistance to Moldova. The EU Commissioner for enlargement and neighbourhood policy Johannes Hahn announced the start of payments in the coming days. EU unfreezes the support for Moldova, said in Brussels, the EU Commissioner for enlargement and neighbourhood policy Johannes Hahn after a meeting with the Minister of foreign Affairs of Moldova Niku Popescu on Monday, July 15. According to  Hahn, within the next few days the European Commission will provide Chisinau with 14.5 million euros of financial assistance. This money should, in particular, support the program of vocational education, as well as the functioning of the free trade zone of Moldova with the EU. Moldova will receive the second tranche in autumn The second tranche of financial assistance Moldova, according to the European Commissioner, can get this fall. Also in autumn, the EU can provide Chisinau with the first part of the loan in the framework of macro-financial assistance aimed at supporting the country's balance of payments. But first you need to wait for the final IMF report, Hahn added. 100 million euros of macro-financial assistance to Moldova were allocated by Brussels in 2017. But a year later it was suspended due to violation of the principles of the rule of law and democracy in the country. Among the conditions for the renewal of financial support in Brussels called the fight against corruption in Moldova and holding parliamentary elections in accordance with international standards. Chisinau’s course to EU After the meeting in Brussels Moldovan Foreign Minister Niku Popescu said that the new government in Chisinau was set to bring Moldova closer to the EU. “Our only foreign policy orientation is European integration,” he stressed and promised that the government will fight corruption and strive for deoligarchization. Popescu also said that “Moldova has experienced a rough few weeks” while there was confrontation of the new coalition with the previous government. “But we managed to overcome them with the support of the EU, the U.S. and Russia,” said the Foreign Minister of Moldova. DW