PARIS (Reuters) – France announced on Monday new aid of more than 100 million euros for Moldova, which is facing a serious energy and economic crisis due to the conflict in Ukraine.
This envelope is part of an aid program discussed at the 3rd Ministerial Conference in support of Moldova, which brought together 45 international delegations in Paris on Monday, notably representing the European Union and the United States.
“In order to meet immediate needs, we have decided to mobilize a new exceptional envelope of more than 100 million euros,” Emmanuel Macron said during a press conference with his Moldovan counterpart, Maia Sandu.
Of this envelope, ten million euros will be allocated by the end of the year in the form of grants to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Program (WFP) and UNICEF. “to support in particular the access of refugees to heating, food and education”.
Moldova has hosted tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees on its soil.
“High-power generators will also be supplied in the first months of 2023 to equip Moldovan hospitals, and an envelope of 2 million euros will be mobilized via the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development-Editor’s note). )” to support public reforms, particularly in the energy sector, said Emmanuel Macron.
The French Development Agency (AFD) will also allocate 90 million euros to Chisinau over the period 2023-2024.
“DRAMATIC”
A small country of some 2.6 million inhabitants, bordering Ukraine, Moldova has been a candidate since last June for integration into the European Union.
Chisinau is hard hit on the energy and economic level by the Ukrainian conflict. Moscow has halved its gas deliveries to the Moldovans and electricity exports from Ukraine are made impossible by Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
The challenge for Paris is to help the Moldavian population to face the winter.
“We are facing a dramatic energy crisis,” said Maia Sandu during this press conference, reporting an unprecedented inflation rate of 35%.
“We are preparing for a particularly difficult winter. (…) This war endangers the electricity supply and the gas supply,” she added.
“Many Moldovans will not be able to pay their bills this winter unless the government intervenes,” she said.
According to Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, Moldova’s electricity needs are now almost 90% covered by Bucharest.
France, Germany and Romania launched a “Support Platform” last April, in order to “coordinate concrete and immediate assistance from the international community”.
The first two ministerial conferences in Berlin (March) then Bucharest (July) made it possible to collect some 600 million euros in pledges and contributions.
The next meeting will take place in Moldova and Emmanuel Macron has announced that the next summit of the European Political Community will take place in this country in June 2023.
(Written by Marc Angrand and Sophie Louet, edited by Blandine Hénault and Tangi Salaün)