The town of Cahul will be Moldova’s Youth Capital in 2018. The announcement was made on Saturday, August 12, during the International Youth Day festivities in the current Youth Capital, Varnita, Anenii Noi district. According to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, the goal of these actions is to increase the role and contribution of young people to the development of society, IPN reports.

The Youth Capital contest means that in the winning town all the stakeholders are encouraged focus on youth activities for a year. This is meant to create opportunities for young people’s multilateral development and active participation in the country’s economic, social and cultural life.

The selection of the Youth Capital is based on criteria like the financial commitment of the Local Public Administration to the hosting of youth-related activities, their capacity to implement these activities, local partnerships, the support of local and national youth NGOs. The winning town also receives financial support from the government.