US State Department confirms cancellation of $6 million grant for Moldova

IPN.md

26 May 2025
16:49

The US State Department has confirmed the cancellation of a $6 million grant to promote the wine industry and tourism in Moldova. The decision is part of a series of significant cuts in US foreign assistance ordered by the Trump administration. The information was confirmed on the official State Department website, IPN reports.

Government officials in Chisinau said they would not comment on the announcement, as it is an older decision of the Trump administration.

In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a 90-day pause on all foreign assistance programs, including those administered by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which led to the suspension of several ongoing projects, including those destined for Moldova.

Subsequently, in March 2025, the administration announced plans to disband USAID, with the goal of integrating the agency’s functions into the State Department by July 1, 2025. This restructuring was motivated by a desire to reduce government spending and realign foreign assistance with U.S. domestic priorities.

Prime Minister Dorin Recean commented on the decision at the time, noting that relations between the two countries remain strong. “There will indeed be a limited impact both financially and in terms of time, but we are confident that the US is a reliable partner of the Republic of Moldova and Moldova is part of the US strategic interests on the European continent,” the prime minister said then.

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Prosecutors appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice the acquittal of Dorin Damir in the case of blackmail and interference in justice

by Irina Botu 29.07.2026

The prosecutors have appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice the decision by which Dorin Damir, the president of the Martial Arts Federation, was acquitted in the case where he was accused of blackmail and interference in the administration of justice. The appeal was registered on July 28 and is to be examined by the supreme court, reports IPN.

According to the information published on the CSJ page, the criminal case involving Dorin Damir has been assigned to a panel of judges, who are to rule on the appeal filed by the prosecutors.

The Central Court of Appeal acquitted Dorin Damir at the beginning of June, after it officially annulled the sentence of the Chisinau Court from December 2022 and issued a new decision.

According to the accusation, in June 2021, Damir allegedly tried to persuade the founder of the company “Proimobil”, Vladislav Musteață, to withdraw his claims and change his procedural position in a criminal case. The prosecutors maintained that the messages would have been transmitted through a lawyer and would have contained veiled threats.

Dorin Damir denied the accusations throughout the trial, stating that he does not personally know Vladislav Musteață and that he had no meetings with him. In turn, his lawyers challenged the evidence presented by the prosecution and demanded acquittal.

Currently, Dorin Damir is serving a three-year prison sentence in another case, which targets the fictitious hirings at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

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US State Department confirms cancellation of $6 million grant for Moldova

IPN.md

26 May 2025
16:49

Government officials in Chisinau said they would not comment on the announcement, as it is an older decision of the Trump administration.

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The authorities are cancelling the Romanian Language Day concert to cut costs

by Iana Josu 29.07.2026

The authorities are giving up on the concert planned for Romanian Language Day, on August 31, in order to reduce the expenses related to the events dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Republic of Moldova’s independence. The decision to modify the national program “The Independence that Unites Us. Moldova-35” was approved on Wednesday by the Government, reports IPN.

Prime Minister Vasile Tofan stated that he has asked the Minister of Culture to reduce the expenses for the events organized during this period. “I believe we can do it with a lot of heart and soul, but not necessarily with a lot of money. We will have a concert on August 27, which we will make more modest, and not necessarily have a concert on the 31st as well”, said the Prime Minister.

The Minister of Culture, Dan Suruceanu, specified that, for the optimization of expenses, it was proposed to exclude the Romanian Language Day concert from the initial program. He mentioned that, on this day, the Ministry of Education and Research traditionally organizes the Great National Dictation.

The decision was made after discussions on the sources of financing for the events. Previously, the Ministry of Culture had requested the redistribution of 10 million lei from subsidies intended for theater and concert institutions to cover expenses related to cultural events that were not initially planned.

The Ministry of Finance did not support this solution and recommended identifying other sources of funding, so that the activity of cultural institutions would not be affected.

The total cost of the “Independence that Unites Us. Moldova-35” Program is not indicated in the Government’s decision. The document stipulates that the responsible authorities will finance the actions from the already approved budgets. For the Ministry of Culture, the expenses can be covered by redistributing identified savings in the sector, without additional allocations from the state budget.

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