PREMIER CHICU EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO EU AND COUNTRIES HELPING MOLDOVA TO COMBAT CORONAVIRUS

Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu expressed deep gratitude to the European Union and the countries helping Moldova in its struggle against COVID-19.

Chicu told a briefing that on Friday he had held a meeting with Ambassador Peter Michalko, the Head of the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, with whom he discussed the rendering of assistance to Moldova by the European Union.

Chicu reminded to journalists that initially the European Union had announced an assistance worth 140 million euros for Eastern Partnership countries, of which 100 million euros was going to be intended for supporting small and medium enterprises, 30 million euros – for obtaining medical equipment, protection means and consumables, and 11 million euros for backing vulnerable population groups through civil society organizations.

“Yet another 700 million euros will be furnished to the Eastern Partnership countries for a medium- and long-term perspective. Of them, 200 million will be grants for small businesses, and 500 million – guarantees against credits. Besides this, Moldova will receive 87 million euros from the European Union for realization of a range of projects. We are very grateful to the European Union for this very generous support in the times so difficult for us. We are also grateful to France and other EU countries, to China, Switzerland, Russia, Turkey, the United States – to all who helped and is helping us in the struggle against the coronavirus pandemic”, said Prime Minister Ion Chicu

The Premier said that on Friday he had a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of Ukraine, and took part in a videoconference with the Prime Ministers of the member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union [of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, EAES], in which Moldova has an observer status.

The Premier stressed that thanks to the donations by citizens and organizations, the Government-opened special fund for anti-virus struggle has accumulated 13 million lei.

“This money was included into the governmental Intervention Fund. Today, we took a decision to send 460,000 lei from that Fund for repaying 16,000 lei each to the medics, who have got infected with coronavirus”, said Ion Chicu.