Norwegian support to strengthen Moldova’s resilience

– The funding from Norway is targeted towards measures that have a rapid effect and improve the situation for Moldova’s vulnerable population. Norway is also pleased to support democratic processes and bolster Moldova’s ability to withstand attempts to undermine national stability,’ said State Secretary Eivind Vad Petersson.

Support for the energy sector

Norway is giving high priority to energy in its support to Moldova. Moldova has traditionally been highly dependent on Russian gas and in 2023 the country received funding from Norway to purchase gas under more favourable conditions to alleviate the immediate crisis. Energy prices in Moldova have risen sharply as a result of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Moldova is now seeking to diversify its energy supply and implement measures to curb the country’s dependence on Russian gas and to ensure sustainable development of the energy sector. Moldova uses more than three times as much energy as the EU average to achieve the same output. Increasing energy efficiency is one of the most effective and easiest means of strengthening the country’s security of supply, minimising adverse environmental impacts and reducing energy poverty. In May, The Norwegian and Moldovan Ministers of Energy signed an agreement on energy cooperation.

In 2024, Norway is providing a total of NOK 170 million to support energy efficiency measures. Some NOK 105 million and NOK 35 million are being channelled through Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), respectively. The funding will enable Moldovans to enhance home energy efficiency, for example by replacing appliances that have a higher energy consumption with those that are more energy efficient. This is a measure that can be implemented rapidly with immediate results.

Support channelled through the EBRD will also be used to establish a loan scheme for similar types of home energy-saving measures. The aim is to reduce home energy consumption.

In addition, Norway will provide NOK 30 million to Moldova’s municipal sector via the EBRD’s Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P) Fund in Moldova. The fund supports energy-efficient solutions and green technology in areas such as district heating, renewable energy, and increased energy efficiency in pre-school day-care centres, schools and hospitals.

Support for the education sector

Education will remain a priority sector for Norway’s support to Moldova in the years ahead. The funding provided by Norway will be used to renovate five school buildings in five different districts in Moldova. The schools will be upgraded to become more energy efficient, with modern infrastructure and new outdoor areas. The World Bank and the EU are providing support for similar renovations of a number of other schools. This is part of a larger project to restructure and reform the education sector in Moldova to address problems such as a lack of teachers, a steady decline in the number of pupils, and the poor condition of many school buildings.

Norwegian funding will also be used to support Moldova’s efforts to develop new curriculums, improve teacher training, and enhance the quality of education in various other ways. These efforts are in part a response to the most recent report on Moldova from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which shows that student performance in reading, writing and mathematics is below average compared to other OECD countries. Norwegian assistance to Moldova’s education sector will total NOK 65 million in 2024, channelled through UNDP.

Countering disinformation

Moldova will be holding a number of crucial elections and a referendum over the next year. Norway is providing NOK 18 million in 2024 to support Moldova’s election institutions through a UNDP project to improve oversight of political financing, political parties and election campaigns in order to strengthen and make electoral institutions more resilient against cyber and information challenges, and to boost civic engagement.

Moldova is regularly subjected to large-scale propaganda and disinformation campaigns from Russia and pro-Russian actors seeking to undermine its stability. In 2023, the Moldovan authorities established the independent Centre for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation (Stratcom). Norway is providing close to NOK 10 million in 2024 to support coordinated efforts to promote neutral and factual information. This funding is being channelled through International Media Support (IMS) and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), and their local partners from independent media and civil society.

Gender equality and climate change

This year, Norway is also providing approximately NOK 12 million in funding for efforts to integrate gender perspectives into local climate adaptation plans and climate-smart solutions for sustainable development at the local level in Moldova.

The distribution of the remaining funds is under consideration and will be announced.