World Bank to launch new partnership strategy with Moldova

Melanie Marlett said the new strategy will be drafted jointly with the Moldovan government and other development partners in Moldova. At the same time, the World Bank is to provide Moldova with $10 million budgetary assistance and $14 million credits to ensure the implementation of the water supply and sewerage project and a credit of about $6 million to alleviate consequences of this year’s drought. Within the same news conference, the official briefly presented the Energy Project II financed by the World Bank. The 28 thermal stations built up within the 2004-2008 project were financed by the World Bank, which allotted a credit of about $35 million, the Swedish and the Moldovan governments.

Hungary will provide Moldova with all the support necessary for the implementation of the EU standards in all the sectors and will further be Moldova’s advocate in the European integration process. A statement to this effect was made today by Hungarian Foreign Minister Kinga Göncz at a meeting with Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev, on an official visit to Hungary, according to the government’s press service. Kinga Göncz informed that following Moldova’s request, a Hungarian expert in the European issue, Sándor Szabó, will come to Chisinau to give Moldova the assistance it needs in this sector. At the same time, Göncz said Moldova was designated as the target country for Hungary’s assistance in 2008.

Tarlev saluted the excellent Moldovan-Hungarian cooperation relations and thanked for the support Hungary constantly gives to Moldova to implement the European standards and solve the Transnistrian issue. The premier particularly referred to the fact that the Hungarian embassy hosts the Single EU Visa Issuing Centre in Chisinau and to the activity of the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine. Tarlev highlighted that the Moldovan government has put on the front burner of its foreign policy agenda the successful implementation of the Moldova-EU Action Plan, obtaining a more advanced legal framework in the relations with the EU, implementing the simplified visa regime and concluding the asymmetric trade agreement. (moldpres)