Moldova needs €1 million more in addition to the €2.2 million that represents the budget of the project to destroy about 630 tonnes of pesticides stored on Moldova’s territory. Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici asked for support in this respect from the development partners in the coordination meeting of the international donors that was held in Comrat on May 18, IPN reports.

According to the Government’s press service, the Prime Minister said the destruction of pesticides and other hazardous chemicals is very important for the environment and the people’s security. He referred to the project to destroy stockpiles of pesticides stored on the country’s territory since the Soviet era, which was implemented with the support of NATO. The project was stopped last October owing to the shortage of funds.

Chiril Gaburici noted that the Government of Moldova has annually allocated about 220,000 lei from the state budget for ensuring the security of obsolete pesticides since 2008. The support of the international community is needed for covering all the costs related to this project.

The project to destroy pesticides and other chemicals stored on Moldova’s territory is at its last stage. At the first stage in 2003 - 2008, there were repacked and stored about 3,245 tonnes of pesticides and other dangerous chemicals. At the second stage in 2006 - 2010, a complete database of pesticides was compiled and these were assessed from toxicological viewpoint. Within the third, last stage, 643 tonnes of pesticides were repacked and transported to Poland for being destroyed. Another about 630 tonnes are yet to be destroyed.