US Company intends to promote Moldova’s image in the USA and EU

The USA-based “Orion Strategies” Company intends to provide assistance for Moldova with a view to promoting its image in the USA and the European Union. The Company’s president Bruce Jackson welcomed during a meeting with Premier Vasile Tarlev the process of democratising the society that takes place in Moldova. He mentioned that the Company’s experts are ready to provide support in implementing the promoted policies efficiently, as well as to offer consultancy aimed to carry out the “Millennium Challenges” Programme successfully and in accordance with established terms. Prime Minister stressed the importance that the Government attaches to the successful implementation of the Moldova-EU Action Plan and asked for assistance in achieving the objectives that the Government must meet in a short period. It is about the urgent opening of the Unique Centre for issuing visas in the EU space to the Moldovan citizens and the obtaining of the Asymmetric Trade Preferences regime. As part of a meeting with the Parliament’s speaker Marian Lupu, the US expert stressed the importance to form a group of specialists with a view to framing the strategy to implement the respective programme. The interlocutors put emphasis on the need to institute an efficient management of the projects that will be implemented under the “Millennium Challenges” Programme. The US Government has recently decided, within the Preliminary Programme of the “Millennium Challenge Corporation” (MCC), to provide financial support worth USD 24.7 mln for backing the initiatives to combat corruption. The Programme assists countries that are on the “threshold of eligibility” for Millennium Challenge Account assistance, known as Compact assistance, by helping to address specific policy weaknesses. In November, the MCC Board of Directors named Moldova eligible for Compact assistance. Eligibility for such assistance is reserved for countries that score above the median on independently measured indices regarding political and economic freedom, healthcare, fiscal and trade policies, and judicial fairness. The Corporation was designed to reward the good performance of Governments and also to create incentives for countries to adopt good policies that create a foundation for poverty reduction and economic growth. The Government is hopeful of a funding worth USD 300 mln in the future under the Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Programme.