Donors attending Moldova Support Conference in Berlin, co-organised by Germany, France and Romania, had pledged EUR 695 mln to help the small ex-Soviet country as it deals with an influx of refugees from neighboring Ukraine.

Romania decided to add a EUR 10 mln grant to the EUR 100 mln financial package (loans and grants) endorsed last week.

With a population of some 2.4 mln not counting those working abroad, Moldova hosts nearly 100,000 refugees and is providing help to many more who seek their places elsewhere. Separately, the high energy prices hit hard the country that is fully dependent on imports.

"We will strengthen Moldova's resistance also in the financial sphere," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters, according to Deutsche Welle. "To this end, we agreed today to support Moldova with loans, budget support and other financial assistance worth EUR 695 mln."

The announcement came during a joint press conference as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock met with her Romanian and French counterparts Bogdan Aurescu and Jean-Yves Le Drian in Berlin, as well as Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita and Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu.

andrei@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania)