On Monday, the third donor conference for the Republic of Moldova takes place, organized by Romania, France and Germany / 45 countries and institutions gather in Paris to support Chisinau in the energy crisis.
45 countries and institutions will meet in Paris on Monday to promise the Republic of Moldova aid of millions of euros, in the context in which there are fears in this small country and it could be further destabilized by the conflict in Ukraine, reports Reuters, quoted by News . .ro.
The Republic of Moldova, which lies between Ukraine and Romania, has felt the effects of rising food and energy prices, as well as the influx of thousands of Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in this country of about 2.5 million people. It is reported that Moldova received more refugees per capita than any other country, writes Reuters.
Heavily dependent on Russian energy supplies, Moldova faces even greater difficulties with the arrival of winter and Gazprom’s 40 percent cut in natural gas supplies, affecting the authorities’ ability to provide sufficient electricity. and warmth to the population.
“Moldova is directly affected, because it is dependent on energy supplies from Russia and this country that has part of its territory controlled by Russian soldiers, so it is particularly vulnerable,” said a French diplomat during a press briefing.
The aid that would be collected on Monday is to be used to support Moldova’s budget and electricity supply, as well as the costs of hosting thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
It is the third conference of the donors of the Republic of Moldova and will be co-chaired by the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, together with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Catherine Colonna, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Annalena Baerbock.
At the previous conferences of the donors of the Republic of Moldova, organized in Berlin and Bucharest, promises of aid were made in the total amount of approximately 1.3 billion euros (1.34 billion dollars), reminds Reuters.
The Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova is a permanent support tool created at the initiative of the foreign ministers of Romania, Germany and France in the spring of this year to mobilize financial contributions from the international community and to support the reforms necessary for EU accession.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, as well as the minister of foreign affairs from Chisinau, Nicu Popescu, are also expected at the conference in Paris that takes place on Monday.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu will emphasize in Paris that the main necessity of the Republic of Moldova at this moment is obtaining, from international partners, the necessary financial assistance for gas and electricity purchases. Also, the head of Romanian diplomacy will inform the participants about the assistance measures undertaken by Romania: the direct budget support recently granted, in the amount of 10 million euros, the facilitation of electricity deliveries on October 14, 2022, the initiation of the implementation of the Agreement on non-refundable financial assistance in the amount of 100 million euros granted to the Republic of Moldova by Romania.
The organization of the third Ministerial Conference in Paris within seven months of the creation and launch of the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova “constitutes a clear signal regarding the consolidation of this new format as an instrument for coagulation of multidimensional international support and confirmation of its role in a . difficult situation in which Chisinau needs the assistance of the international community more than ever”, the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.
On April 5, 2022, the Conference on the creation and launch of the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova took place in Berlin, a format created and co-chaired by the foreign ministers of Romania, Germany and France. This first meeting generated financial commitments worth 659.5 million euros.
The second Ministerial Conference of the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova was organized and hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Bogdan Aurescu, in Bucharest, on July 15, 2022. It benefited from the participation of delegations from 33 countries – member states of the country. The EU, the G7, the European Free Trade Association, over ten international organizations, financial institutions, European institutions (the European Commission and the European External Action Service) and UN agents. The conference in the Romanian capital of support for the benefit of the Republic of Moldova in a total amount of 615 million euros, including 432.3 million euros of assistance in the form of grants; also, at Romania’s proposal, it was decided to create a new working group, the sixth, regarding the reform of public administration and the administration of public finances.