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Moldova likely to receive EU financial assistance worth about 130 million euros in 2013

Prime Minister Vlad Filat participated on December 18 in an annual meeting of the beneficiaries of the foreign assistance and the members of the network Twinning, TAIEX, SIGMA and CIB Programme on Moldovan-EU cooperation issue, the government's communication and press relations department has reported.

The meeting was focused on the Moldovan-EU cooperation - institutional consolidation instruments: a year of progress, future tasks and challenges. Attending the event were people responsible for implementing the Twinning projects and counterparts of the resident advisors, as well as members of the working groups Twinning, people dealing with foreign assistance and other employees involved in the institutional consolidation.

In his speech, Filat said the meeting is very important and is organized in due time, as an event following the visit by the Chairman of the European Commission to Moldova, Jose Manuel Barroso.

Filat noted that the reforms should be qualitative and long lasting, as these two aspects are exactly the way that each citizen of Moldova could experience the reforms and benefit from them.

«The coming year will be crucial for Moldova's cooperation with the European Union, we will sign an association agreement and create a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement. Since that time, the agenda for reforms will be massively enlarged and will need more concerted efforts, additional strategic visions, a concrete methodology for implementing the provisions of these documents, clearly divided responsibilities and a full involvement of each employee. All of us, especially the public administration, are committed to prepare for these changes», Filat added.

Filat noted that the EU instruments of institutional consolidation can serve as key-elements for the goals proposed by the Moldovan government in its efforts to join the members of the EU family.

Filat thanked the relevant people involved in implementing the projects for their efforts and encouraged them to work further.

Attending the event, the head of the EU Delegation to Chisinau, Ambassador Dirk Schuebel said 2012 has been the most successful year in the history of Moldova's relations with the EU. He noted that Moldova has European prospect, and the year 2013 is extremely important for our country.

Dirk Schuebel encouraged the government to continue the pace of reforms implementation, and praised the way of their development.

Dirk Schuebel noted that the EU, as the biggest development partner of Moldova, including in terms of financing, will continue to back Moldova. He noted that in 2006, the EU assistance was estimated at 25 million euros, reaching 152 million euros in 2012.

Dirk Schuebel congratulated about 120 participants in the meeting for the way of their work in 2012, and wished them every success in the coming year.

The participants will approach the Moldova-EU cooperation, association agreement, free trade agreement, visa free regime, as well as the plans for 2013.

Adapted from Moldpres