The Government has approved a 1.16 million euros grant agreement that will enable Moldova to participate in the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Program, IPN reports.

The grant will be used to stimulate research projects on pressing issues. Effective policies will be developed to support young researchers. The grant will also be used to conduct research and innovation competitions in the fields of smart specialization, “which will contribute to the country's positioning in specific markets / niches internationally and will facilitate the attraction of private investment,” the Ministry of Education and Research said in a press release.

The grant agreement derives from a financing agreement between the Moldovan Government and the European Commission, called “Support for the implementation of the Moldova-EU Association Agreement”.