Moldova to receive additional US aid for energy security
On 17 May, the Moldovan Cabinet of Ministers approved the start of negotiations and signed an amendment to receive additional budgetary aid from the United States for developing an interconnection with the EU’s energy infrastructure.
The financial assistance package is a non-refundable contribution, worth 220 million US dollars. At the same time, the signed amendment envisages the establishment of the terms and conditions as to the non-refundable budgetary support worth 76.8 million US dollars, which is to be provided to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), via a Fiduciary Fund established by the World Bank.
This budgetary support will ensure the reimbursement of the expenses for the procurement of electric energy from Ukraine and ENTSO-E (European Network of Transmission System Operators) between September 2022-March 2023.
Following the aforementioned additional allocations, the total non-refundable contribution of the US government will amount to 392.7 million dollars, from which over 80 million dollars has already been used.
The amendment will be signed by Moldova’s Finance Ministry and USAID, which will subsequently be put forward for a vote in the Moldovan parliament.