Sweden provides €50m to Moldova for country’s development

Sweden will offer Moldova economic, technical and financial assistance to the value of over €50 million for 2011-2014 and this package may be extended, Acting President Marian Lupu announced in a news conference given jointly with the Head of the Swedish Parliament Per Westwerberg, Info-Prim Neo reports. ”The range of these priorities is very wide, starting with such important areas as the human rights, functioning of the democratic institutions and gender equality and ending with the economic dimension, energy security and assistance provided in the process of negotiating the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union. This is a distinctive feature of the Swedish assistance as it is practical, pragmatic and polyvalent and covers all the key areas deriving from our government program,” said Marian Lupu. He stressed that this year Moldova will have a privileged cooperation program with the Swedish MPs and this will help improve the work of the Parliament and support the European integration at parliamentary level. Per Westwerberg said that Sweden is interested in the enlargement of the EU. “As regards ensuring of democracy, Moldova is a leader among the former Soviet republics. Our Parliament is in favor of the European Union’s extension and we hope that Moldova will become an EU member when it fulfills the accession conditions. It is important that these resources be used to develop the economy and to make society become more prosperous,” he stated, adding that the legislative body of Sweden is ready to provide assistance to Moldova in the European integration process. Per Westwerberg paid an official visit to Moldova for the first time.