The funding for Moldova is being allocated under the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine, which has the support of all the parties in the Storting (Norwegian parliament). Under the programme, Norway will provide a total of NOK 75 billion over a five-year period, in the form of military, civilian and humanitarian support to Ukraine.

‘Moldova has taken in a large number of refugees and is doing all it can to help neighbouring Ukraine. At the same time, the country is under great pressure from Russia and is feeling the effects of the war first-hand,’ said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Energy crisis

There is an acute energy crisis in Moldova due to damage to Ukraine’s electricity supply infrastructure and cuts in gas supplies from Russia. The crisis is hitting the Moldovan people hard and threatens to destabilise the political situation in the country. Together with allies and partners, Norway has therefore increased support to Moldova since the war started in February 2022.

In 2022, Norwegian assistance to Moldova amounted to close to NOK 200 million, including NOK 150 million in budget support to the Moldovan authorities and for procurement of gas. In addition, Norway has so far allocated almost NOK 500 million in humanitarian assistance to support the refugee response in Moldova.

‘Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe, but it is still doing what it can to support Ukraine. It is important that Moldova knows that it is not alone in this difficult situation, that it is part of a broader European community that stands united against Russia’s war in Ukraine. It is vital that we support Moldova’s democratically elected Government,’ said Mr Støre.

New sanctions

Norway has also aligned itself with the EU’s restrictive measures imposed in response to attempts to destabilise Moldova.

‘Moldova has been subject to destabilisation attempts over a long period, for example through cyber attacks, manipulation of the energy market and staged public demonstrations. These have increased in both scale and intensity in recent weeks. The new sanctions regime is essential to ensuring stability in Moldova,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt.

Prime Minister Støre announced Norway’s support at a meeting with Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Thursday. In addition to the allocation of NOK 500 million, Norway has earmarked NOK 472.4 million in humanitarian assistance to Moldova.

This support will be used to help Ukrainian refugees, host families and vulnerable households in Moldova. As with all funding under the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine, support is being channelled through established and experienced humanitarian actors. In the case of Moldova, this means the UN, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Norwegian Refugee Council, NORCAP and Caritas.

‘It has not yet been clarified how the NOK 500 million will be used. This will be determined in close dialogue with the Moldovan authorities and our partners,’ said Mr Støre.

European summit

The Prime Minister was in Moldova on Thursday to attend the second Summit of the European Political Community (EPC). The EPC was established in 2022 and is a platform to promote political dialogue between 47 European countries, both within and outside the EU. Discussions at the summit focused primarily on the war in Ukraine, energy security and the green transition. Prime Minister Støre and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo co-chaired a roundtable meeting on energy.