Moldova and the European Commission on Wednesday will sign an agreement for 60 million euros in non-reimbursable assistance. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița said the grant will be wired directly into the state budget to cover costs of mitigating the energy crisis, IPN reports.
Natalia Gavrilița told a press briefing on Tuesday that the pace at which this non-reimbursable aid moved, from political decision to approval, was extraordinary. She said this was made possible by the efforts of President Maia Sandu and the European institutions' confidence in her, but also by the direct involvement of Katarina Mathernova, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations.
As part of the grant agreement, the authorities approved a plan to alleviate the energy crisis. In addition to compensating citizens, it also provides for actions to increase energy security. Feasibility studies for gas storage will be carried out and several laws will be amended.
According to Minister of Finance Dumitru Budianschi, the funds allocated by the European Commission will be disbursed this year in a single installment.