Moldova and the United States have signed an agreement to re-enforce two development assistance agreements dated 2016, which will allow our country to receive and master previously unused grants totaling $72.6 million.
In particular, Finance Minister Dumitru Budianschi and Scott Hocklander, USAID Mission Director in Moldova, signed an agreement to reinstate the development assistance agreements concluded by the governments of Moldova and the United States in Chisinau on September 28, 2016. During the signing ceremony, Dumitru Budianschi noted that the signing of this agreement is an important moment for the continuation of the excellent initiatives implemented so far and for the development of new projects to support Moldova in various fields. In turn, Scott Hocklander said he is pleased with the restoration of the development assistance agreements, which reflects the commitment to further cooperation between Moldova and USAID. “As a development partner, we are working with Moldova to advance the common goal of maintaining Moldova's trajectory as a more competitive and democratic European state,” he said. The aim of the signed agreement is to restore the legal implications of a development assistance agreement to increase trade and investment in key sectors (total grant amount - $90.62 million) and a development assistance agreement for more effective democratic governance in Moldova (total grant amount - $76.91 million) from September 28, 2016, which expired in May-June of this year, as well as their extension until December 31, 2025.The direct beneficiaries of the financing of this agreement are rural communities, the private sector (agriculture, winemaking, information technology and tourism), youth, the free press and the justice sector. As noted by the Ministry of Finance, the need to sign an agreement to restore the operation of the two development assistance agreements dated 2016 is due to the need to use untapped resources totaling $72.6 million under these agreements, of which $27.6 million are granted in accordance with the agreement on assistance to increase trade and investment in key sectors; and $45 million - under an agreement to promote more effective democratic governance in Moldova. The agreement takes effect on the date of its signing. // 08.10.2021 – InfoMarket
