In Moscow, a Loan Agreement for Moldova Was Signed. Dodon Called It the First Tangible Aid

President Igor Dodon said on the evening of April 17 that an agreement on allocating the first tranche of a €200 million loan for Moldova was signed in Moscow. According to him, this money will be directed to the state budget. Among other things, they will be spent "on infrastructure projects." According to Dodon's Facebook page, the Ambassador of Moldova to Russia Andrei Neguta signed an agreement on Moldova's lending with the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Finance on April 17 in Moscow. “The document provides for the allocation of the first tranche of a € 200 million loan to our country,” Dodon wrote. According to him, this is the first financial aid to Moldova during the crisis associated with the coronavirus pandemic. The president did not indicate what the first tranche amount will be from the planned volume. “This is the first concrete financial assistance that our country receives from foreign partners during the crisis. The funds received will be directed to the state budget of Moldova for the needs of the country, including for infrastructure projects financing,” the president wrote. In his post, he did not write when exactly Moldova will receive the money, and whether the terms remained the same. Recall that on March 13, 2019, Prime Minister Chicu announced that the interest rate would be 2%, and the loan repayment period would be 11 years. He argued that, in accordance with the approved agreement, the Moldovan side can repay this loan at any time, without any fines. At the end of 2019, President Igor Dodon announced for the first time that Russia was ready to provide Moldova with a $ 300 million loan for infrastructure projects. According to the president, Russia will provide Moldova with money on almost the same terms as loans provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development or Romania.