Slovenia reinforces its support for Moldova on its path to the European Union

State Secretary Neva Grašić with the Deputy Prime Minister and Chief Negotiator for Moldova's Accession to the European Union Cristina Gherasimov | Author MZEZ

During political consultations, State Secretary Grašič and her host, Deputy Prime Minister Gherasimov, discussed the Moldovan government's current efforts on its path towards Europe. The two senior officials agreed that a credible enlargement policy is essential for ensuring the stability, resilience and security of the European continent. State Secretary Grašič expressed support for Moldova's EU membership and welcomed the progress made on reforms, particularly in the judiciary and regarding anti-corruption efforts. She emphasised the importance of continuing the reform process, highlighting Slovenia's readiness to provide Moldova with further technical and expert assistance in its efforts to align with European standards.

A significant portion of the talks was also devoted to bilateral relations. Carolina Perebinos, State Secretary at the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed her gratitude for the strong partnership between the two countries in the field of development cooperation. Slovenia is implementing several projects in Moldova relating to sustainable development and environmental protection, including the 'IForest - Integrated Digital Tool for Sustainable Forest Management' project and the 'Cantemir: Sustainable Hydro-Electric Project for Aquatic Restoration and Agricultural Support'. For many years, Slovenia has also been recognised for its ITF project, which provides medical and psychosocial care for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. Regarding the economy, the two officials emphasised the importance of exploring new avenues for collaboration, particularly in tourism, where there is potential for closer integration and the exchange of best practices.

The meeting with MP Marcel Spătaru, Chair of the Committee for European Integration, focused on strengthening interparliamentary cooperation and aligning Moldovan legislation with the European acquis. The Moldovan side thanked Slovenia for its support provided in the form of knowledge and experience transfer, and expressed interest in continuing such cooperation.

The meeting with Anca Dragu, Governor of the National Bank of Moldova, provided an opportunity to reaffirm the strong cooperation between the two countries within the CEF (Centre of Excellence in Finance) project framework in the fields of public finance and central banking. Governor Dragu expressed her gratitude for Slovenia's contribution to the 'National Bank of Moldova - Institutional Transformation into a Learning Organisation' project, which is Slovenia's most prominent development project in Moldova to date.

State Secretary Grašič also visited Caritas Moldova, a partner organisation with which Slovenia is implementing the 'Living Earth' project to support the sustainable development of local communities in Moldova. The project reflects the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs' commitment to prioritising environmental issues in its foreign policy activities.

On the sidelines of the visit, State Secretary Grašič also held talks at the EU Delegation and the EU Partnership Mission (EUPM) in Chisinau, as well as with graduate students of International Relations at the Faculty of International Relations, Political and Administrative Sciences in Chisinau, where she engaged in an interesting discussion about the current challenges and opportunities within the framework of EU enlargement policy.