EU steps up support for Moldova with investments in forests and railways

Today at the Moldova Partnership Platform conference in Chișinău, the European Investment Bank (EIB Global) and the government of Moldova signed two agreements aiming to enhance the country’s economic and environmental resilience – a €200 million loan for forest development and a €12 million EU grant for railway infrastructure improvements. 

These investments aim to enhance Moldova’s green transition, improve connectivity, and support regional trade routes, including crucial links with neighbouring war-torn Ukraine.

The €200 million EIB loan will support sustainable forestry in Moldova by improving forest governance, strengthening the regulatory framework and contributing to the National Forest Extension and Rehabilitation Programme, which aims to expand Moldova’s forest area by 145,000 hectares. The EIB financing will specifically rehabilitate 63,000 hectares of degraded land and forests, addressing challenges like soil erosion and biodiversity loss. 

Another agreement signed today includes a €12 million EU investment grant, which complements a €41.2 million loan agreement signed in 2023. The funding is being used to rehabilitate and modernise key sections of Moldova’s railway infrastructure, enhancing internal connectivity and providing a vital export route for Ukraine. This project is aligned with the Solidarity Lanes initiative, which aims to strengthen regional stability and economic resilience by improving Moldova’s connectivity with Europe and Ukraine.

Since establishing its presence in Moldova in 2007, the EIB’s total investment in the country has reached about €1.5 billion across more than 30 projects. These investments support EU policy objectives in various sectors, including energy security and energy efficiency, transport, healthcare, digitalisation, private sector growth and forestry. 

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Press release