Moldova, EU sign two agreements for a total €11 million

The European Union and Moldova on Friday signed two financing agreements for a total €11 million under the Health Reform Budget Support Program and the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Program, Info-Prim Neo reports. The agreements were signed in Chisinau by Stefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy, and Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iurie Leanca. In line with the principle of “more for more”, the Health Reform Budget Support Program benefits from additional funding under the Eastern Partnership Integration and Cooperation (EaPIC) program. The Health Reform Program has been scaled up with €6 million in order to upgrade the public health service and to improve the training of the Human Resources for Health. As part of the Annual Action Program 2012, the EU is going to support the vocational education and training sector with a €5 million technical assistance project. The overall objective of this action is to improve the governance of the VET system in Moldova by reforming the VET institutions network and enhancing the quality of the learning processes and learning outcomes in line with the labor market demands. Attending the signing ceremony, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso noted that overall the EU has offered a total of €122 million to Moldova in the course of this year. Jose Manuel Barroso stated that his visit to Moldova represents a recognition of its progresses and reiterated the EU's commitment to supporting the Moldovans on the path of reforms.