Italy provides 14 million euros in support for Moldova

Italy is providing new financial support worth 14 million euros to Moldova through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in order to strengthen social protection and energy resilience. An agreement to this effect was signed today, according to Moldpress.

According to the document, the funds will be directed to renovating the public infrastructure of social service centers, continuing the Help at Meter compensation programme for the cold season, and expanding the smart metering project in the energy sector.

‘’I thank the Italian government for this ongoing support, which is so necessary for the sustainability of the most complex governmental social protection programme – cold season compensations. This is a significant investment in support of energy-vulnerable citizens,’’ said Alexei Buzu, Minister of Labor and Social Protection, during the signing event.

According to the cited source, the Italian support comes to complement previous contributions worth 20 million euros, offered in November 2023 and January 2025.

Italian Ambassador to Moldova Lorenzo Tomassoni emphasized that this new commitment strengthened Italy's support for Moldova's European path and for reforms that improve citizens' lives.

‘’Through this partnership, we contribute to real changes – from compensation of invoices for low-income families to the digitization of public services,’’ stated the diplomat.

With Italy's support, two regional social service centers will be renovated and transformed into modern 'one-stop-shop' centers, energy-efficient and adapted for people with disabilities. At the same time, the Help at the Meter programme will benefit from additional resources through the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund (EVRF), with Italy contributing 5 million euros for the 2024-2025 heating season.