Romania could spend EUR 1.6 bln to help poorer countries in the next five years

Romania could donate up to EUR 1.61 billion to support democracy and sustainable development in poorer countries, in the 2016-2020 period, according to official projections. The European Union and rich countries, such as Norway and Switzerland have been supporting Romania's development through grants for years. However, few people know that Romania has been doing the same for poorer countries, such as the Republic of Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, and other countries in the Balkans, Africa and the Middle East. Romania's Development Cooperation Programme – RoAid, which is coordinated by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, should reach a budget of over EUR 500 million in 2020, up from EUR 138 million in 2015, according to a Government decision, writes Economica.net. Romania has become a donor-country in 2007 when it joined the EU. In 2014, Romania donated some EUR 164 million, or 0.11% of its Gross National Income (GNI). The sum went down to some EUR 138 million or 0.09% of the GNI in 2015, and a similar sum is estimated for this year. However, Romania has agreed to increase the yearly contribution to 0.33% of its GNI by 2020, which is more than EUR 500 million. Most of the money Romania donates through the RoAid program goes to multilateral assistance. The Ministry of Finance manages Romania’s contributions to the European Commission’s development budget, the European Development Fund budget, and the International Development Association, among others. Romania also grants direct non-refundable financing to various countries for projects that aim to support the transition to democracy in those countries, as well as agriculture and sustainable economic development, protecting the environment, health and education. The Republic of Moldova is the main beneficiary of bilateral financing through the RoAid programme. Other countries, such as Serbia, Tunisia, and Syria, also got bilateral financing from Romania in 2015. Find out more about the RoAid program here. Romania offers humanitarian help to the Republic of Moldova editor@romania-insider.com