Government Councillor Hasler attends support conference for the Republic of Moldova in Berlin
In Berlin, together with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of many EU countries and the G7 states, Government Councillor Dominique Hasler also assured Liechtenstein's support for the Republic of Moldova, which has been severely affected by the war in Ukraine due to large refugee flows. Government Councillor Hasler also used the conference for bilateral contacts with ministerial colleagues.
Government Councillor Hasler attended a ministerial conference on assistance to Moldova in Berlin on Tuesday, April 5, at the invitation of German Foreign Minister Baerbock, French Foreign Minister Le Drian and Romanian Foreign Minister Aurescu. Moldova, as a direct neighbor of Ukraine, is very much affected by the war, especially by the large influx of refugees: By early April, some 400,000 refugees had already crossed the border into Moldova, posing enormous challenges for the country, which currently has a population of about 2.6 million.
Liechtenstein and the Republic of Moldova have maintained very close relations for years. The Republic of Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe and has been a priority country for Liechtenstein's bilateral development cooperation since 2007. The Liechtenstein Development Service (LED) also maintains a project office on the ground. Since 2007, Liechtenstein has contributed more than CHF 11 million to projects in the country. With this commitment, especially in the area of vocational training, Liechtenstein is an important and visible partner of the Republic of Moldova.
Government Councillor Hasler stressed in Berlin on Tuesday that Liechtenstein will also stand by Moldova in the current crisis and provide further support. In addition to humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian population, Liechtenstein has already supported the activities of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Moldova with a contribution of CHF 100,000. Furthermore, the government has decided to take in 20 people who have fled to Moldova due to the war in Ukraine, directly from there.
On the sidelines of the conference, Government Councillor Hasler also held talks with the President of Moldova and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from Italy, Norway, Austria, Romania and Canada.
