Public Broadcaster will modernize equipment with 21 million lei Japanese grant
The company Teleradio-Moldova (TRM) will upgrade its audiovisual equipment through purchases funded by a grant from Japan. The draft ratification of the agreement was approved on January 14 at the Executive meeting in Chisinau.
The Minister of Culture, Cristian Jardan, announced that, following ratification, a contract will be signed, enabling TRM (Moldovan Public Broadcaster) to receive "important, friendly support" from the Japanese Government.
This grant is valued at 192 million Japanese yen, approximately 21 million lei, and aims to enhance the quality of media services at the Public Broadcaster, as emphasized by Cristian Jardan.
The project's documentation highlights that, due to digital transformations, the equipment currently used by the public broadcaster is outdated, impacting the quality of services provided.
Authorities stress the urgent need to modernize TRM's technical infrastructure, which plays a "strategic role in informing, educating, and promoting national culture."
The project’s implementation is intended to improve the quality of public media services, strengthen the technical and professional capacities of the institution's staff, and align production processes with international technological standards, according to the documentation.
Additionally, the treaty signifies the expansion of the Moldovan-Japanese partnership and illustrates Japan's support for the Republic of Moldova in the context of the country’s European integration.
During a visit to Tokyo in November 2025, discussions on the project’s operationalization took place. TRM's Deputy General Director for Television, Andrei Zapșa, noted that the support from the Japanese government is invaluable and reflects the recognition of the company's reform efforts and its credibility among development partners.
"After nearly two years of hard work with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, we are very determined to strengthen and deepen our relationship through other significantly important projects for public television. We are consistently working towards this goal," Andrei Zapșa stated at the time.
The grant was announced in November 2024 by the former Japanese ambassador, Yamada Yoichiro. On December 4, 2025, in Chisinau, the parties agreed to finalize the signing of the agreement by March 31, 2027. If the agreement is not signed by that date, the commitments will be canceled. The project is to be completed within five years from the Japanese government’s decision to approve the grant. Any unspent funds will be returned.
