Twenty ventilators and also medical gowns and surgical gloves were handed over by NATO to Moldova in a ceremony held on the occasion of the visit paid to Chisinau by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó. In a joint news conference given by Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Nicu Popescu and his Hungarian counterpart, it was noted that this is NATO’s third anti-COVID intervention in Moldova, with the value of the current assistance rising to millions of dollars, IPN reports.
Nicu Popescu said the meeting with Péter Szijjártó centered on Moldova’s European integration ambitions and on methods of strengthening the bilateral relations with Hungary, which has always been near Moldova, including during the current pandemic. Hungary’s experience in farming and in public finance management will be passed on by two experts who will make effort to be useful to relevant institutions in Moldova. Also, it will consider the possibility of financing infrastructure and water supply projects through the agency of Hungary’s “Eximbak”. The possibility of resuming flights between Chisinau and Budapest and the signing of an agreement on the mutual recognition of driver’s licenses were among the discussed issues.
For his part, Péter Szijjártó underlined the importance of solidarity between states in times of a pandemic that can be considered an attack on humanity. Hungary managed to cope and to purchase sufficient quantities of sanitary equipment and supplies at the initial stage and it can now donate to the states that need aid.
The Hungarian official stated that two of the 40 Hungarian companies operating in Moldova, Gedeon Richter and OTP, are really notable. He shared his Moldovan counterpart’s opinion that the improvement of the business climate, including by fighting corruption, can lead to an increase in the number of such companies.
