Poland offers interest-free credit to help Moldova says president

Andrzej Duda, the president of Poland, has said that the Polish government has decided to grant Moldova EUR 20 million interest-free credit to help it deal with problems caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the growth of energy and gas prices.

President Duda made the statement after talks with his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu in Chisinau, on Monday.

The Polish president said that the most important thing now was "to survive this difficult time."

"At the moment, the fundamental problem of the Moldovan president and authorities, as well as mine as the Polish president, is to compel our societies survive this difficult time and our states to to carry all the burdens caused by the war in Ukraine and global trends," Duda stated.

Referring to growing gas and energy prices, Duda said that this increase had a global dimension.

He also expressed hope that the European Union and its institutions would offer assistance to Moldova.

Poland's president said that he would hold talks with EU officials to encourage them to open the EU market to Moldovan goods in order to improve Moldova's economic condition in the future.

President Maia Sandu appealed to EU countries to open their markets to Moldovan goods as Moldovan producers had lost eastern markets due to the war.

"I will be permanently supporting Moldova's aspirations to receive an EU candidate status and during its accession process," Duda told reporters, adding that Poland had always supported an open-door policy to the EU.

The Polish president also said that, being European countries in a geographical, historical and cultural sense, Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia should be able to join the EU.

"Now is the time for the EU to say 'yes' to countries which are in a difficult situation and whose nations are determined to join the large European economic and civilisational community," Duda concluded.