--- title: "\"Moldova Project\" will coordinate external assistance from various international institutions, including the EU" url: https://moldova1.md/p/85707/-moldova-project-will-coordinate-external-assistance-from-various-international-institutions-including-the-eu published: 2026-09-19T14:55:00Z language: en author: "Dumitru Petruleac" section: "Economic" source: moldova1.md --- # "Moldova Project" will coordinate external assistance from various international institutions, including the EU > Although the new "Moldova Project" structure, announced by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, promises more efficient management of major public investments, its success depends on its organizational architecture and genuine cooperation with the ministries. Corneliu Coteț, an expert with EUROPULS Romania, expressed this view during the September 18 edition of the "Paralela 47" program on Radio Moldova. ![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/31ea49f5-2313-4e13-a47e-a948dd851653.jpg) Although the new "Moldova Project" structure, announced by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, promises more efficient management of major public investments, its success depends on its organizational architecture and genuine cooperation with the ministries. Corneliu Coteț, an expert with EUROPULS Romania, expressed this view during the September 18 edition of the "Paralela 47" program on Radio Moldova. The Republic of Moldova needs this implementation capacity, as the country secures funding for major projects but struggles to put them into practice, says Corneliu Coteț, an expert with EUROPULS Romania. *"We are indeed very good at reforms—at least regarding the authorities' official agenda, as things move very quickly there—but we are lagging significantly when it comes to large-scale projects. And I believe that, in a way, the Prime Minister's goal was to tackle precisely this issue by consolidating the resources we currently have. Another crucial aspect of this institute is that it will centrally coordinate the external assistance provided by various international institutions, including the EU,"* he noted. However, Coteț points out that creating a new institution alone does not guarantee faster project implementation. According to him, the way it communicates and collaborates with the ministries and other authorities involved in implementing investments will be essential. *"We will see what reality brings, as a great deal will depend on how this institute is implemented and how the various ministries interact with it—whether it will truly function symbiotically or simply become another institution working in parallel with the ministries on the same tasks. Ultimately, though, it is vital that we try to solve these problems and acknowledge the reality: we are not doing well at attracting the funds available to us, and that is where we need to focus our efforts. At the end of the day, the authorities need to work on securing these funds,"* the expert added. ![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/ce1d7072-99f6-455d-8f06-f2554d877a8e.jpg) For his part, political analyst Mihai Isac notes that the Republic of Moldova already has experience managing development projects, yet the scale of the upcoming investments is far greater. According to the analyst, making the new structure work requires experienced specialists—including professionals currently working abroad. *"We might recall the Republic of Moldova Social Investment Fund, which at one point managed a budget of several tens of millions of euros. Of course, the scale of the projects and the initiative launched by the current Tofan government is vastly larger. Clearly, we need to attract human resources—including from the diaspora, which serves as a strategic asset for the Republic of Moldova, regardless of the views held by certain politicians in Chișinău, particularly within the pro-Russian opposition,"* the analyst said. Mihai Isac believes the authorities should examine the experiences of other nations that underwent similar processes prior to joining the European Union. He cited Romania and Poland as examples. *"I believe we can learn from Romania—adopting the successful practices seen in certain areas while also noting the 'what-not-to-do' examples. The Republic of Moldova has a significant advantage—one Romania lacked during its long journey toward European integration and Europeanization: the opportunity to learn from others' mistakes. We can also observe the evolution of Poland’s management of European funds. Poland got off to a rocky start but subsequently revitalized its approach. Today, the Polish economy stands as a benchmark within the European Union for the effective utilization of European funds,"* he added. The analyst also draws attention to the risk that the new structure could become overly bureaucratic or be used for political appointments. In his view, selecting specialists must be based on competence. *"We are dealing with a great deal of bureaucracy, and we need an institution to manage it. However, along the way, we must avoid the trap of excessive bureaucratisation and filling staff positions with political appointees. This is because this highly sensitive area will be under much closer scrutiny from Brussels than other institutions. Foreign experts will certainly play a role in building the new structure. We will also undoubtedly see setbacks along the way—failures are inevitable. There will be long periods of waiting before we see results,"* the expert added. According to Isac, the operational model of "Moldova Project" will need to be adjusted over time, depending on the Republic of Moldova's needs and its relationship with European partners. ![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/d4d6318e-b0b0-4633-937d-4a6fee1a8119.jpg) *** The new structure is set to centralize implementation capacity for strategic projects in areas such as transport infrastructure, energy, healthcare, digitalization, the environment, and education. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan announced that the "Moldova Project" will launch with a staff of 26 and will not increase the total number of central public administration employees. In the initial phase, the institution is expected to absorb three existing bodies responsible for managing projects funded by external sources. The Government intends to nominate Mircea Eșanu—the current head of the Public Services Agency, who is set to step down after five years at the helm of that institution—to lead the new structure. Projects falling under the purview of "Moldova Project" include the regional hospitals in Bălți and Cahul, irrigation projects in the south of the country, airport infrastructure in the north, transport and logistics initiatives, energy projects, and the construction of the Chisinau penitentiary.