Moldova (bbabo.net), - Moldova is the most vulnerable country among Ukraine's neighbors. This was stated by Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilitsa on Tuesday at the opening of the International Conference in Support of the Republic of Moldova "Solidarity Bridge" in Berlin. She said that many EU countries are facing problems during the crisis (rising energy prices, migration crisis), reports infotag. md
"But they have a different level of resilience. Even before the war, the price of gas for Moldova increased by 360%, and the inflation rate reached 18%. A quarter of Moldovan households are forced to spend a quarter of their income to pay bills. This makes them very vulnerable. Poverty in Moldova has reached 30%. And a further decline in the purchasing power of citizens poses a significant risk to social cohesion," Gavrilitsa said.
According to her, Moldova now has to deal with the economic and social consequences of the war - the disruption of supply chains, the reduction in remittances, especially from migrants in Russia, food security risks, hybrid threats, higher prices.
"Moldova is also one of the most vulnerable countries in Europe in terms of the energy crisis. We are the only country in Europe that is 100% dependent on a single gas supplier. And this is Gazprom. We urgently need a revision and updating of existing energy policies and significant investments ", - said Gavrilitsa.
Another important issue is the supply of electricity.
"Moldova has no alternatives other than Ukraine and the Transnistrian region. Nor is it connected to Romania's networks. That's why interconnection projects are a priority for us. They will help us overcome crises in the future, allow access to more sources. But this solution is not in the short term," Gavrilitsa said.
According to her, the macroeconomic forecast shows that the war in Ukraine will lead to a significant reduction in economic growth.
"And even despite the additional financial support we are already seeking from the IMF and the World Bank, the macro-financial assistance approved by the EU (150 million euros -" I. ") will not allow us to cover the (budget) hole in 2022 and 2023 .", - she said.
The prime minister also pointed to the problem of increasing public debt, noting that Moldova is already approaching safe borrowing limits.
"Summing up: Moldova is the most vulnerable country among Ukraine's neighbors. And we can't even count on a security umbrella. Today, the Moldovan authorities need good friends and trusted partners," Gavrilitsa said.
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