SUA

Prime Minister Iurie Leanca today had a meeting with representatives of state institutions in charge of enforcing the Compact Programme, financed by the U.S. Government via the Millennium Challenges Corporation.

The participants in the event ruled to set up a working group meant to assess the performance achieved by Moldova in meeting the goals of the Compact programme and to identify actions that would ensure the country’s eligibility for a new programme of the Corporation.

In the context, Leanca touched upon the need to boost the fight against corruption, ensure a permanent economic growth, strengthen energy security and to draw investments by a higher degree of transparency, responsibility, as well as law supremacy. The issues were discussed at a phone conversation between Iurie Leanca and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

Leanca said “It is needed to strengthen our efforts, all state institutions, including the prosecution, National Anti-Corruption Centre, Court of Accounts in order to move forward in the reform process, in order to consolidate the democratic state and optimise the governance”.

Moldova benefitted from national road and irrigation system restoration projects amounting to 262 million dollars, within the Compact programme.

Prime Minister Iurie Leanca made statements to this effect during the meeting with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Eric Rubin today.

The prime minister thanked the United States for their assistance in promoting reforms and democratic values in Moldova and called for boosting the Moldovan-US Strategic Dialogue, launched during his visit to Washington in March. It aims to strengthen relations between the United States and Moldova in the field of security.

Iurie Leanca highlighted the importance of continuing the economic cooperation and increasing trade relations between the two states, to ensure the increased access of Moldovan products to the US market, and to attract more American investments to the Moldovan economy.

The premier said that the Moldovan government would continue the reforms, particularly in the field of justice and combating corruption, European integration as well as boosting economic relations with Moldovan partners. Iurie Leanca said that Moldova was interested in expanding the financial support of the United States in various areas, particularly within the Millennium Challenge Fund’s Compact programme, financed by the government of the United States, noting that the project was successful and showed remarkable results in developing the infrastructure and institutional capacities in relevant areas for Moldova.

For his part, the American deputy assistant secretary of state reiterated the United States’ willingness to support Moldova in strengthening the rule of law, promoting reforms and developing the economy. Eric Rubin said that USA would help Moldova ensure the state’s stability, predictability and security as well as protecting Moldova’s achievements on its European agenda. To this effect, the strategic dialogue with the United States assists Moldova in overcoming domestic and international challenges.

American Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Eric Rubin is on a two-day visit to Moldova. The visit includes his participation in the first meeting of the leaders of the US-Moldova Strategic Dialogue, bilateral consultations and meetings as a representative of the United States in the five-plus-two negotiations on the Transnistrian conflict settlement, as well as meeting high Moldovan officials. Eric Rubin visited Moldova in autumn 2013.