Development Partner: Italian Republic (Italy)
Development/Implementing Agency
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic (MAECI), through the Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCD), ensures the political and strategic leadership of development cooperation.
The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), through its local office responsible for the Republic of Moldova, is in charge of identifying, formulating, executing, financing, and monitoring development cooperation activities.
Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A. (CDP) acts as the Italian financial institution for international development cooperation, particularly for the management and disbursement of concessional loans.
Contact Details
Embassy of the Italian Republic in Chișinău
Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS)
Legal Framework for Cooperation
Currently, the Republic of Moldova and the Italian Republic do not have an active bilateral Framework Agreement on development cooperation in force.
A draft Framework Agreement on development cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Government of the Italian Republic is currently under drafting and finalization.
The draft aims to establish a general legal framework for development cooperation activities funded by the Italian Republic and other Italian entities, providing, among other things, for intervention modalities, executive agreements for individual initiatives, responsibilities of the parties, and implementation mechanisms.
Strategic Programming Documents
Italian development cooperation is guided by the international development cooperation policy of the Italian Republic, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and relevant international commitments.
In the Republic of Moldova, interventions are aligned with national development priorities and supporting the country's European path.
In the context of the draft Framework Agreement under development, it is envisaged that cooperation initiatives will be detailed through specific implementation instruments, including executive agreements and project documents.
Priority Sectors / Areas of Cooperation
The main areas of Italian cooperation in the Republic of Moldova include:
energy efficiency, green transition, and strengthening energy resilience;
private sector development and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);
social protection and social inclusion;
healthcare and public services;
education, vocational training, and human capital development;
local development and decentralized cooperation;
support for reforms and the European integration process of the Republic of Moldova;
humanitarian aid and interventions targetting vulnerable groups.
Type of Funds / Financial Instruments and Assistance Modalities
Italy provides development assistance through several modalities and instruments, including:
grants;
concessional/preferential loans;
humanitarian aid;
bilateral and multilateral development initiatives;
decentralized cooperation and projects promoted by civil society organizations;
scholarships and research grants.
According to the draft Framework Agreement under preparation, debt-for-development swaps are also envisaged.
Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A. (CDP) plays an active role in managing concessional financial instruments, particularly preferential loans.
Programming, Approval, and Implementation Procedures
Currently, the programming, approval, and implementation of cooperation initiatives are based on legal instruments and documents specific to each intervention, agreed upon between the parties and institutions involved.
AICS, through its responsible structure for the Republic of Moldova, participates in the identification, formulation, financing, implementation, and monitoring of development cooperation initiatives under the political and strategic coordination of MAECI-DGCD.
The draft Framework Agreement currently under preparation envisages, for the future, the regulation of each initiative through an executive agreement and project documents, specifying the implementing entity, objectives, results, budget, and monitoring mechanisms.
For concessional loans, the draft provides for the use of distinct financial instruments, including financial agreements involving CDP and the competent authorities of the Republic of Moldova.
Other Information
Italy is an active development partner of the Republic of Moldova, including in sectors such as energy, social protection, private sector development, vocational training, and healthcare services.
Italian cooperation aims to align interventions with the development priorities of the Republic of Moldova and support its European integration process.
The preparation of a bilateral Framework Agreement on development cooperation aims to consolidate and systematize the legal framework applicable to future cooperation initiatives.
Regulatory Framework
The draft Framework Agreement on development cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Government of the Italian Republic (under preparation).
