From 22 to 24 April 2024, a delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by Alise Balode, Head of the Economic Relations, Trade and Development Cooperation Directorate, stayed on a visit in Moldova.
The purpose of the visit was to meet with international partners and Moldovan officials in order to present Latvia’s expertise in the implementation of reforms in the fields of strengthening the rule of law, combating disinformation and corruption, agricultural development, as well as to discuss possibilities for cooperation.
During the visit, the Latvian delegation met with Kristina Gerasimova, Vice Prime Minister of Moldova for European Integration. Latvian experts listened to a presentation on Moldova’s interests along with a call for the much-needed support in the integration process on the path towards the European Union. Alise Balode reaffirmed Latvia’s support for the integration of Moldova into the European Union and readiness to share Latvia’s experience and expertise.
To learn more about the partners’ current and planned cooperation with Moldova and Latvia’s potential involvement in joint projects, the Latvian delegation also met with the staff of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Moldova, the potential involvement of the Central Finance and Contracts Agency (CFCA) in EU-funded development cooperation projects in Moldova was discussed. The Latvian delegation also met with officials and experts from the United States Embassy in Moldova and US Development Cooperation Agency (USAID), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ), and the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova.
The delegation of Latvian implementers of development cooperation projects included representatives from the CFCA, the State Audit Office, the Food and Veterinary Service, Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital, Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL), the Latvian Rural Advisory and Education Centre, and the Baltic Human Rights Society.
Background information
Moldova has been one of the priority countries for Latvia’s development cooperation policy since 2005. Latvia shares its experience in EU integration and reform, strengthening good governance and the rule of law, media literacy and the fight against disinformation, regional development and decentralisation.
In 2023, Latvia implemented five development cooperation projects in Moldova financed from bilateral development cooperation funds managed by the MFA:
- GSL ran a programme in European Law and Economics for young professionals from countries in the EU’s Neighbourhood Policy region, Central Asia and the Western Balkans;
- the State Audit Office facilitated the capacity building of the Supreme Audit Institutions in the process of transposing international SAI standards in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine;
- the Baltic Human Rights Society implemented a project in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine on human rights education;
- Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital gave support to Moldovan health authorities in countering disinformation;
- the Food and Veterinary Service provided an expert opinion on the strengthening of Moldova’s food, veterinary and phytosanitary border control system in line with EU requirements.
Two of the above-mentioned projects are being continued in 2024: the RGSL Programme in European Law and Economics, and the State Audit Office project. The University of Latvia will also move ahead with its training programme for young professionals, “European Union Studies – Domestic and Foreign Policy”, to provide support for Moldova and Ukraine in the processes of democratisation and European integration.
An evaluation is also taking place of projects under the 2024 development cooperation grant project competition launched by the MFA.
