OREANDA-NEWS. April 29, 2009. In 2008, the EU provided Moldova with 62.3 million euros from 209,7 million euros under the European Neighborhood Partnership Instrument (ENPI) for 2007-2010.

This was announced by the head of the European Commission in Moldova Cesare de Montis during presentation of the report on the progress of Moldova within the frameworks of the Action Plan of the European Neighborhood Policy in 2008, As Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the External Relations and Neighborhood Policy Commissioner has noted during the tele-bridge from Brussels, Moldova has made progress in several areas of the named plan.

Thus, signing of the Partnership on facilitation of legal migration and illegal migration prevention and the Agreement on visa regime facilitation and readmission between Moldova and the EU were mentioned.

The activity of the Government of Moldova in the field of continued good cooperation with the EU in resolving Transnistrian conflict, as well as in matters of regional and international security was assessed as well. Moldova has received positive assessment for the achievements in the field of public administration, customs area and corruption prevention.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner noted that GDP has increased by 7.2%. Bilateral trade with the EU continued to grow in the 2008, reaching EUR2.3 billion, which accounted for almost half of total Moldovan trade. This made the EU by far the first trading partner of Moldova.