Baerbock at donor conference: Moldova should receive further aid

Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe – and particularly affected by the war against Ukraine. A donor conference in Paris is organizing further aid for the country. Foreign Minister Baerbock promised a good 32 million euros.

The donor conference set up by Germany, France and Romania met again in Paris to organize further aid for Moldova. The republic is suffering particularly from the consequences of the war in neighboring Ukraine. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced that Germany would provide Moldova with a further 32.35 million euros. According to the Foreign Office, the money should be used primarily to strengthen renewable energies and energy efficiency, expand municipal infrastructure and help refugees from Ukraine.

A total of 1.2 billion euros was raised at the first two donor conferences. Some of these are budget support, project funds, low-interest loans and longer-term funding, for example in the energy sector. Located between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova with around 2.6 million inhabitants is one of the poorest countries in Europe.

Baerbock: stand in solidarity with Moldova

Baerbock assured Moldova of continued solidarity. The aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin particularly threatens those states “that have started to move in the direction that is most dangerous for Putin: towards democracy,” said Baerbock. “Who believes that democracies are vulnerable by letting people freeze, let us show them that we stand united, in solidarity and resolutely against any attempt to blackmail a member of our European family or to make them compliant.”

Meeting with Macron

Like Ukraine, Moldova was declared a candidate for EU membership in the summer. After the Russian attack on Ukraine, the country took in hundreds of thousands of refugees, of whom around 90,000 are said to remain in the country. In addition to Baerbock, her French counterpart Catherine Colonna and the foreign ministers of Romania and Moldova are also taking part in the meeting. French President Emmanuel Macron and Moldova’s President Maia Sandu want to speak at the end of the conference. A direct meeting between Baerbock and Macron is also planned.