The Republic of Moldova will receive €9.5 million in financial assistance from the European Union to strengthen its capacity to face security challenges and support the process of European integration. The money will be provided within the “EU4 Moldova Resilience – secure state, resilient communities” Project funded by the European Commission and implemented by Solidarity Fund PL in Moldova. The project was launched on Tuesday at a public event, IPN reports.

Minister of Internal Affairs Adrian Efros noted that the project aims to build the capacities and resilience of the country, starting from national security institutions and reaching local communities, authorities, civil society and vulnerable groups of citizens.

Within the project, 35 fire stations will be equipped with advanced communication systems. There will be built 10 fire stations. Twelve municipal enterprises will be equipped with solar panels. Five towns will benefit from urban revitalization projects, while five villages will have photovoltaic parks built in them as part of the “Smart Village” project.

Peter Wagner, head of the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments of the European Commission, said that Moldova’s cooperation with the EU is not only at the highest level, but also provides tangible results and he believes that the coming weeks and months will show this. He encouraged Moldova’s European path and noted that he supports it. He also said that Moldova is facing challenges, such as the war on the border, but also the energy crisis, disinformation, foreign interference, but also organized crime. Therefore, he is hopeful that the instrument launched today will help Moldova in the fight against these challenges.

Henryk Litwin, president of the Supervisory Board of Solidarity Fund PL, came up with a message expressing his joy at being able to offer this help from the Solidarity Fund. According to him, Moldova has been an important partner of the EU for decades and the EU knows the country’s priorities. The Solidarity Fund has been operating in Moldova for over 10 years. During this period, it has made a series of investments and also cooperated in various fields with different social segments. A new EU-supported energy efficiency project intended for SMEs starts next week.