The pre-accession funds will help Moldova develop faster and the mayors and district heads must be prepared to access these funds, chairman of the Ungheni District Council Dionisie Ternovschi stated in a public debate hosted by IPN News Agency. According to him, all the mayors are encouraged to come up with project proposals and adjust the necessary documents in this regard in order to be eligible in the process of absorbing European funds.

The head of the Ungheni District Council said that the residents of Ungheni are privileged as regards the accession of European funds as they benefit from the EU4 Moldova: Focal Regions program. Dionisie Ternovschi encourages the mayors of all localities to prepare infrastructure and community development projects that can be financed from pre-accession funds.

“In recent years we have seen concrete rapprochement between the Republic of Moldova and Brussels. Following my visits abroad, I understood what we have to do and how hard we have to work. I believe the European funds will help us to faster ensure prosperity in our country. The fact that we want to be part of the big European family shows that we are Europeans and we have the same values. We must have a clear development vision and strategy. We must be ready for the absorption of European funds. Therefore, local public authorities must adjust their strategic documents. Rural mayor’s offices have to adjust the documents regarding urban plans. Many of these have not been updated since the 1970s and when an investor comes and wants to do something on a plot of land in the village, this realizes that the documentation is not in place. And this stagnates processes,” said the chairman of the Ungheni District Council Dionisie Ternovschi.

According to him, cross-border programs within which European and partner countries are part of large infrastructure projects, require also financial resources from the state. Dionisie Ternovschi voiced hope that the Government will make its own contribution.

“The Ungheni District Council allocates funds when a mayor comes from a commune or village and asks for money for projects. Then our mayors enjoy full openness because, with a project, you can later access different funds. The cross-border programs that are made available to us are ambitious programs that will also require contributions from the state. Therefore, the state will have to help us in this regard,” noted Dionisie Ternovschi.

The chairman of the Ungheni District Council said that thanks to the financial support of the European Union, an industrial park could be built at the border with Romania, which will contribute to the economic development of the region.

“Ungheni submitted an application for financing for the pre-feasibility study for the so-called Euro-Business-Park Ungheni. It goes to an industrial park near the ring road of Ungheni municipality, at a distance of 2 km from the future bridge. You know that we will have the Ungheni-Ungheni connection bridge and thus we will be closer to Iasi. I want to motivate all the mayors and district heads to start working now, to draw up projects, to make feasibility studies where they have vision,” explained Dionisie Ternovschi.

The public debate entitled “Moldovan-Romanian cooperation in accessing European funds” was the second installment of the series “Double integration through cooperation and information. Continuity”. IPN News Agency carries out this project with the support of the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova of the Government of Romania.