Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 13 July 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 17 July 2007. It was answered by Jim Murphy (Labour) on Thursday, 19 July 2007 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Moldova: Foreign Relations

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to improve bilateral relations with the Republic of Moldova; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: We continue to encourage Moldova to implement the reforms set out in the jointly agreed European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan, which was launched in February 2005. In this context, the Government strongly support efforts to promote economic and political reforms, aimed at bringing Moldova closer to EU standards. During my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Europe’s (Mr. Hoon) recent trip to Moldova, he made clear that the UK will continue to work closely with Moldova and help to focus their efforts on implementing the action plan and its successor.The Government have contributed £5.5 million as part of a multi-donor fund towards the Early Transition Countries initiative managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in support of the bank’s investment and business advisory operations in the seven low-income countries of Central Asia, South Caucasus and Moldova.The Department for International Development’s overall aid framework for Moldova is £2.7 million for 2006-07. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office funds small grassroots level projects under the Global Opportunities Fund (£124,000 for 2007-08). The EU has provided assistance to Moldova totalling over €253 million (since 1991), including technical assistance under the Technical Aid to the Commonwealth of Independent States programme.All of these activities are reinforced by the high level meetings referred to in the reply I gave to the hon. Member today (UIN 150533).

Secondary information