The group of non-governmental organizations that has committed to promote the construction of the Ungheni-Chișinău-Odessa highway, as an extension of the Romanian Târgu Mureș-Iași-Ungheni highway, calls on the Moldovan government to declare the project a national priority. In an IPN press conference, representatives of the NGOs said that financial sources for carrying out the feasibility study are available and that the state must commit itself to manage the funds.
The director of the Institute for Project Development and Expertise, Iurie Calestru, said that, over the course of a year since the group was created, the project was brought to the attention of Moldovan authorities, who supported it and declared that they are willing to contribute. The project was also discussed in Bucharest, Kiev, at the European Parliament, at the European Commission and at the European Investment Bank headquarters. All entities expressed their support for the construction of the highway.
According to Iurie Calestru, as a result of their efforts, the NGO group was recently informed that a financial instrument that can be accessed by member countries is available at the EU level. Romania can and wants to apply for this instrument, however, it needs the Republic of Moldova to include the project into the government's action plan.
According to the Tourism Industry Employers Association chairman, Gabriel Mărgineanu, in order to commence the project, the government must set up a task group that establishes the terms and conditions of cooperation between the parties and must establish the detailed roadmap. Additionally, the task group has to coordinate with the state that will apply for the financial instrument. “We need infrastructure in order to make human life better. Investors won't come to the Republic of Moldova if we do not have infrastructure", said Gabriel Mărgineanu.
Veaceslav Tutunaru, the president of the public media association Meridian Grup, that owns the radio station EcoFM, said that most of the involved parties expressed their readyness to act, if the government of Moldova wants the same thing.
Andrei Cuculescu, road infrastructure specialist, said that thanks to the motorway, the Republic of Moldova will connect itself with the biggest and most important roads in Europe. The project needs to be regulated by the government due to the need to expropriate land.
The Ungheni-Chișinău-Odessa highway would be about 100 km long. 32 million euros are required to complete the feasibility study.
