At the event, the Swiss Ambassador to Moldova (based in Kiev), Claude Wild, said that despite the challenges of recent years, Moldova has shown resilience and solidarity. He also stressed that Switzerland will remain a flexible and receptive partner for Moldova and congratulated the country on achieving the status of candidate country to the European Union.
"Despite the tragic situation caused by the Russian war of aggression in Europe, which is taking place on the territory and against the population of Ukraine, we must nevertheless continue to celebrate and thus strengthen the ties that unite free and democratic nations," said Claude Wild.
Switzerland has continuously expanded and intensified its support, becoming one of Moldova's largest bilateral development partners. Over the years, Switzerland has provided more than 180 million Swiss francs in development programmes and around 30 million Swiss francs in humanitarian assistance.
The current portfolio of development projects, totalling CHF 12 million per year, focuses on health, governance, economic development and employment. Swiss interventions have also been tailored to provide rapid support for Moldova's response to Covid-19 and efforts to host refugees from Ukraine.