The Republic of Moldova will be offered €100 million by the European Union and Spain. A sum of €60 million was already transferred, especially for assistance in the energy sector, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain José Manuel Albares Bueno stated in a news conference held jointly in Chisinau with Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, IPN reports.
The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation under the aegis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain prepared 30 tonnes of humanitarian aid that will be delivered to Moldova this weekend. Also, the Spanish authorities will offer medical aid to help the refugees. There were activated a number of specialized Spanish associations and organizations that will come to Moldova to help manage the refugee crisis.
The Spanish official noted the Kingdom of Spain is ready to accept Ukrainian refugees in Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante.
The Republic of Moldova can bank on Spain’s and the EU’s assistance in coping with the situation. “We will defend together the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will defend together the right of each state to decide itself what polities it wants to follow at internal and external levels. There is a common future for Moldova as part of the EU,” said José Manuel Albares Bueno.
For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, said that he and his counterpart discussed the developments in the region, the war in Ukraine and the impact on the Republic of Moldova, the humanitarian crisis caused by the war and the Ukrainians who found refuge in Moldova. He reintegrated Moldova’s strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and the firm position of condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Moldova wants to join the EU and therefore aims to strengthen democracy and do reforms. Moldova is a European state with European history and society offered the authorities a firm mandate to bring the country into the EU. For the purpose, continuous reforms need to be done and the state banks on the partnership with Spain here, including in the justice sector, fight against corruption and organized crime, development of infrastructure and enhancement of energy infrastructure.
Trade between Moldova and Spain is €150 million a year. Moldova is looking for ways to increase this figure and aims to become more attractive for investors, including the Spanish ones. Moldova has a large community in Spain and the authorities aim to facilitate the stay of Moldovans in Spain, including by signing agreements in the social sphere and by the conversion of driver’s licenses. Another goal is to have the charges on roaming with Spain reduced.
According to Nicu Popescu, Moldova aspires to become a state that deserves to be in the EU as the integration into the EU is for society the safest method for ensuring peace and freedom.
