OREANDA-NEWS. January 31, 2014. The Regional Development and Construction Ministry (MDRC) hosted a summing-up conference on a Twinning Project titled: "Capacity Building in Regional Development in Moldova". The project was financially assisted by the European Union with 1.2 million euros, and implemented by MDRC, in partnership with the French Interior Ministry.

Attending the event were Head of the EU Delegation in Moldova Pirkka Tapiola, French Ambassador to Moldova Girard Ghiiono, Romanian Ambassador to Moldova Marius Lazurca, Deputy Regional Development and Construction Minister Liviu Oboroc, Project Manager on EU’s behalf Patrick Noddings, representatives of the ministry, first and second level public authorities, as well as representatives of the associative and economic sectors.

Moldova benefited from this project in May 2012 - January 2014. The project’s main goal was to improve the legal, institutional framework and to regulate the regional development policy, revise the normative framework and the spatial planning one, as well as to strengthen capacities of the MDRC and national and regional actors involved in the development of Moldovan regions.

Liviu Oboroc stressed that, during 21 months of project’s implementation, the ministry had managed to promote an active cooperation with local public authorities of first and second levels, civil society, members of various professional associations, private entrepreneurs insisting on developing individual businesses.

"Moldova’s regional policy is under continuous development. In the near future, we are set to work out a new Regional Development Strategy, with an implementation period adjusted to the EU strategic planning requirements and documents (2020). Other two regions, UTA Gagauz-Yeri and Chisinau municipality, will also be institutionalised and the Law on regional development, passed in 2006, will be amended. All these activities have been included in the projects’ components, so that the experts managed to suggest us which methodology should be applied by the ministry, what are our priorities and how could we achieve the set final goal," Oboroc said.

Pirkka Tapiola emphasised that the EU Delegation was satisfied with the results of this project, active cooperation between the different level authorities and capacities learnt by the beneficiaries, in order to implement the policy in the regional development sector. Tapiola also underlined that the European Union would further back the regional development of Moldova, and European experts would continue sharing their experience, so that the Moldovan national, regional and local actors, involved in promoting regional development, develop their capacities, get an impetus for development and create better living conditions for citizens.

The ministry’s representatives informed that the carried out activity, taken efforts had been just a beginning to make a vision, plan activities in line with the EU regulatory framework. They also said the set up team, contacts between people, interpersonal relations would significantly contribute to the Moldova’s development in the long run as well.