EBRD's assistance to Moldova reaches €100 M

The financial assistance granted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to Moldova tripled this year compared to 2007 and reaches some 100 million euros, Info-Prim Neo reports. Brigita Schmognerova, a deputy president of the EBRD made this statement at a news conference in Chisinau. Schmognerova says now the EBRD works with the Government on two important infrastructure projects. One deals with repairing roads, the second one -- with revamping the Chisinau airport. After sorting out more details, the respective accords will be inked and the money transferred. “The EBRD is interested in increasing its financing operations in Moldova and in some future concrete projects,” she said. One of these projects deals with energy efficiency. In Moldova, as in other transition countries, the weight of the energy resources in the output's cost is much larger than in the EU countries, and the EBRD has already the good experience of carrying out such a project in Bulgaria. “Though the EBRD does not invest directly in agriculture, we have financed projects backing farmers, raising the agri-food output. For example we had such a project in Tajikistan. If Moldova is interested we could open a credit line for farmers in local banks. The food price growth, although redressing for the last month, will be there anyway and Moldova has the opportunity to increase its farming areas and to offer qualitative agricultural products on its own and the European markets,” Schmognerova specified. The EBRD official has added the Malldova mall will soon be running, it being a private sector project financed by the Bank. The EBRD will go on providing technical assistance projects to Moldova, including the Informational Management System of the capital market.