MEP Siegfried Mureschan confirmed on Thursday that the European Union is allocating 135 million euros to Ukraine and Moldova from previously frozen funds that were earmarked for Russia and Belarus. The money will be used to support a variety of projects, such as improving cross-border transport links, improving the quality of medical care, implementing educational and research initiatives, social integration programs, as well as the well-known “solidarity corridors.” The latter allow Ukraine to transport grain to countries in need of assistance.
Making a statement on the situation, the MEP said that Moldova and war-stricken Ukraine had suffered the most damage. Therefore, it is reasonable to reallocate these funds to projects that strengthen cooperation between the EU regions and the mentioned countries.
“To ensure stability on the borders of the European Union, it is impossible to do without the support of Ukraine and Moldova. It is crucial to increase financial and technical assistance to these two countries in the near future, as this also serves the interests of the Union itself. My task in my role as chief negotiator of the EU budget for 2024 is to allocate the maximum amount of financing next year to support projects that contribute to the prosperity of Moldova and Ukraine,” the MEP stressed.
Siegfried Muresan also said that the said 135 million euros will be taken from the European Union’s Neighbourhood Instrument for the period of 2021-2027. Initially, these funds were intended for cooperation programs between the EU, Russia and Belarus, but were redistributed after the outbreak of the conflict.
