Sandu: Moldova negotiating with US to keep USAID programs

The Moldovan authorities are negotiating with the US to maintain the US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs that have been suspended, President Maia Sandu said at a press conference following talks with the head of the European Council Antonio Costa, Report informs via TASS.

"We will continue to discuss USAID projects with the United States to see if we can maintain them, and if not, then we will obviously discuss with other partners how we can continue them. The energy program was extremely important for us," Sandu said.

She also noted the importance of US and EU funding for Moldova's defense spending.

"Defense spending is included in the budget, it has been approved. We are grateful that the EU supports us in strengthening security," she added.

Last October, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who visited Moldova before the presidential elections and the referendum on EU membership, promised Chisinau 1.8 billion euros in investments at a joint press conference with Sandu, while maintaining the European integration path.