Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has announced a €1.6 billion assistance package for Moldova. The announcement was made today in a joint press conference with the Moldovan president Maia Sandu, ahead of the EPC summit starting tomorrow. 

“We want to support you to address the impact of war in the neighborhood and we want to bring you closer to the EU”, the European official said.

Some of the initiatives for which the assistance is intended concern roaming tariffs between Moldova and the EU. Ursula von der Leyen said that today the telecom operators signed an agreement that will facilitate roaming from next year. Also, the EU will provide additional economic support that will lead to direct investments in the Moldovan economy. Another part of the support package is to alleviate the energy crisis. €100 million is to cover the immediate needs of vulnerable families, to ensure the energy resilience of buildings and prepare for the coming winter.

Ursula von der Leyen says she is glad to know that Moldova participates in the EU gas procurement mechanism. She believes this will improve the security of Moldova’s gas supply. The EU will finance projects to help Moldova’s integration into the European energy market.

The EU also wants to increase funding to enhance Moldova’s resilience against Russia’s hybrid threats and will provide strategic advice in this regard. At the same time, the EU will hire more staff at the EU Delegation in Chisinau to support the implementation of reforms.