Moldovan PM meets members of Local Action Group from Stefan Voda

Chisinau, 21 April /MOLDPRES/- The ways of more active involvement of civil society in local development were discussed yesterday by Prime Minister Pavel Filip and the EU Ambassador to Moldova Peter Michalko with members of the local action group Lunca Nistrului established in Stefan Voda district.

According to the government’s communication and protocol department, the premier said he is keen to learn first-hand the concerns of the people in the region and the problems they are facing, as well as to hear proposals for improving the governance.

Filip said that the government has a permanent communication with the civil society on the platform of the National Council for Participation, with the business people within the Economic Council, and the interaction with local authorities is ensured on the platform of the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova and under a working group of experts. “This year, two meetings with all mayors have already been organized. Now we have a permanent discussion between the representatives of the government and local authorities – a working group where solutions are identified to any problem,” he said.

Peter Michalko said that the existence of the local group is good practice at European level to ensure a clear vision in local development, agreed by authorities, economic agents and civil society. At the same time, he noted that it is necessary to improve the legal framework for these groups and to set strategic directions at national level for their development and support.

The members of the Local Action Group made a presentation of the situation in the region, noting that the local public authorities have a good experience writing projects to attract resources for development. “The group is a successful partnership between APL, civil society and economic agents. We want to work out and implement several integrated local development projects, complementing the European and governmental programmes to improve the quality of life of rural people,” mayor of Palanca village Larisa Voloh said.

In the future, the priorities in the group’s work will focus on local economic growth, social infrastructure improvement and tourism development in the region.

The Local Action Group from Stefan Voda district was formed on 18 April 2018, with the support of the Foreign Ministry of Estonia.