Moldovan, Swiss authorities sign memorandum on water supply, sanitation project

Chisinau, 27 April /MOLDPRES/-A memorandum of understanding on the implementation of the third stage of the “Water and Sanitation (ApaSan) in Moldova” project was signed by the Environment Ministry, Regional Development and Constructions Ministry and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, in Chisinau today.

Environment Minister Valeriu Munteanu said the project aimed to improve Moldova’s rural population’s access to drinking water and sanitation. “The implementation of the project’s third stage will help sides maintain an efficient cooperation in the field of water supply and sanitation, making sure that the know-how generated by the project in its previous stages, reaches Moldovan authorities in this field,” Munteanu said.  

For his part, Regional Development and Constructions Minister Vasile Bitca noted that “this memorandum is a new step in the implementation of the project, which results will benefit Moldova’s citizens first of all”. The minister also highlighted the important need to extend the ApaSan project all over Moldova’s territory during its third phase, noting that its implementation will reduce regional disparities and will bring benefits to citizens of all regions.

The “Water and Sanitation (ApaSan)” project was launched in 2009. Over the next four years, during the course of the third stage, sector planning activities will be undertaken, good practices will be distributed at the national and regional level, as well as joint water/sanitation supply projects will be implemented. The total cost of the third stage of the project accounts for almost eight million Swiss francs, of which one million is the contribution of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

(Reporter A. Mardare, Editor L. Alcaza)