A new project was launched in Chisinau. “Successful Local Development Practices in Ukraine and Prospects for Implementing them in Moldova” is an initiative of the NGOs Business Consulting Institute (Moldova) and the Institute for Political Education (Ukraine). It is supported financially by the East East: Partnership Beyond Borders Program of Soros Moldova Foundation, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the director of the Business Consulting Institute Mihai Roscovan, the aim of the project is to create conditions for exchanging experience and the best local economic development practices between the representatives of the local public authorities and the civil society in Moldova and Ukraine. “The project has several stages. Representatives of the local public authorities and the civil society will be selected for participation at the first stage. By a seminar will be held in Balti and Chisinau to present the most successful local development and communal services administration practices,” Roscovan said. Fact-finding visits to four small Ukrainian towns will be organized as part of the second stage. Fifteen representatives of the local public administration and Moldovan NGOs will travel to Ukraine and familiarizethemselves with good local governance practices. The project will end with an international conference themed “Best Local Administration Development Practices in Ukraine and Moldova”. Deputy mayor of Nisporeni Vasile Batca said that Moldova can learn many progressive methods from Ukraine's experience, especially concerning the rural development. “The local public administration can learn many new things from our neighbors. I'm sure we will achieve good results,” he said. Asked what results they plant to obtain, Mihai Roscovan said: “About 30 representatives of the administration of small towns and of NGOs will attend seminars on local development and communal services administration. Twenty persons will exchange experience with Ukrainian counterparts. We will thus learn successful practices and innovations in developing the local administration.”