OREANDA-NEWS. Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici today had a meeting with Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova Simone Giger. The discussion was focused  on the bilateral cooperation and prospects for its extension, in order to achieve the priority objectives of the Moldovan cabinet.

The prime minister highly appreciated the contribution of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova to carrying out projects of major importance for the country in sectors like health system, infrastructure and social assistance. The prime minister thanked the Swiss government for the constant support provided to Moldova so far and spoke out for expanding the area of collaboration, especially in the migration and development fields. Chiril Gaburici said the concerned projects perfectly fit the achievement of the basic goals of the government's team: national unity, law supremacy and sustainable economy. 

For her part, Simone Giger informed the prime minister about the work of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova. She expressed Switzerland's willingness to continue the assistance to implement the projects underway, as well as to launch new common initiatives to promote reforms and modernize Moldova.

According to Giger, the 2014-2017 strategy of cooperation with Moldova sees providing of assistance worth about 55 million Swiss franks. Unlike the previous strategy (2010-2013), the present one provides for practically doubling of the assistance (from 30 million to 55 million Swiss franks) and, at the same time, inclusion of a new priority: migration and development. Thus, the strategy of cooperation with Moldova for 2014-2017 regard three basic trends: modernising the health system, services of provisions with water and sewerage, as well as migration and development. 

In this context, the sides discussed the assistance due to be provided to Moldova by the Swiss Cooperation Office to institutionally strengthen the Bureau for Diaspora Relations of the Moldovan government and the Migration and Asylum Bureau at the Interior Ministry. At the same time, the officials tackled a subject on eventual assistance on behalf of the Swiss Cooperation Office to complete the procedures concerning the population and housing census, taken in Moldova in May 2014.

The Swiss government opened its permanent office in Moldova in 2000. The office has a status of diplomatic mission and represents the embassy of the Swiss Confederation, with headquarters in Kiev, Ukraine. Moldova benefits from assistance of the Swiss government to carry out more important projects, through the Office.