A new package of support for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova was announced by the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, who is in Chisinau on a visit. According to the Romanian official, by this package of support, Romania aims to swifter conclude the sixth Additional Protocol to the Bilateral Agreement on the provision of €100 million worth of grant funding, which prolongs the validity of the Agreement and expands the cooperation areas, IPN reports.
In a press briefing held jointly with President Maia Sandu, Klaus Iohannis said that this way the bilateral assistance programs could be continued and extended, the COVID-19 vaccination of Moldovans could be supported by supplying up to 200,000 shots and by dispatching a team of Romanian experts to Chisinau in the immediate period to help with the working out of the vaccination strategy.
Romania will provide medicines, medical and protective equipment for looking after persons infected with COVID-19. Also, the Ministry of National Defense of Romania will transfer to Moldova a separate donation of equipment and drugs for containing the pandemic.
Romania will also offer the Moldovan farmers foreign assistance in the form of approximately 6,000 tonnes of diesel fuel and will continue to support civil society and the media in Moldova by a financial contribution in 2021 equal at least to the one made this November – €250,000.
“We will initiate extended cooperation in the justice sector and the fight against corruption,” said the President of Romania. The new package of support is also aimed at hastening the signing of the protocol of cooperation in education for 2021-2025, which will enable to support the education process in Moldova and to also provide places of study in state pre-university and higher education institutions in Romania.
The Romanian official said he took note of the fact that the initiation of negotiations on the agreement on the mutual recognition of diplomats, certificates and scientific and teaching-scientific titles was approved in Moldova on December 22 and voiced hope that the signing of the agreement will take place as soon as possible.
Klaus Iohannis noted he agreed with Maia Sandu that it is important to continue the common projects of strategic interconnection in such areas as energy, infrastructure and communications. Romania attaches major importance to the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict by respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, without affecting its European future.
Klaus Iohannis is the first Head of State who came to the Republic of Moldova after Maia Sandu took office as President.
