Bilateral cooperation with the Republic of Moldova was established in 1992.

Germany supports the goal of long‑term stability and development in Moldova through sustainable reforms aimed at bolstering democracy and the rule of law. It also supports the country’s efforts to draw closer to the European Union. Within the EU, we are in favour of financial assistance, provided that it is accompanied by progress on reform, and are calling for key European values such as freedom of the media and the independence of the judiciary to be protected.

Moldova regards Germany as one of its most important supporters in the EU. German investors and German development cooperation are valued, while Germany’s ongoing engagement in the Transnistria question is recognised. Moldova’s Government is interested in having good relations with Germany and in receiving advisory services from Germany.

Germany is among the country’s key trading partners: imports from Germany ranked sixth (6.3%) in Moldova’s trade statistics for 2022, while exports ranked fifth (5.3%). German direct investment stands at 200 million euro, mainly in the automotive supply industry. The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and the additional liberalisation measures adopted by the European Union to soften the blow of Russian trade restrictions are having a positive impact on the Moldovan economy, even though the pandemic caused a setback in 2020.

In the sphere of development cooperation, Germany has been supporting the Republic of Moldova since 1993 as it progresses along the path to democracy, the rule of law and a social market economy, and moves closer to the EU. To date, bilateral support in the sphere of development cooperation has amounted to around 333 million euro between 1993 and 2023. By focusing on reform efforts and regional development, Germany wants to help improve people’s quality of life, especially in rural regions, for example through projects focusing on economic and employment promotion, as well as municipal development and good governance. Support in the volatile energy sector is being restructured. In view of the impact on Moldova of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has launched a programme aimed at strengthening resilience in the Republic of Moldova. The support package totals around 149 million euro. It includes measures on acute crisis response and on the country’s social and economic stabilisation and development.

What is more, Moldova is a target country in the programme entitled Expanding Cooperation with Civil Society in the Eastern Partnership Countries and Russia (Eastern Partnership). The focus here is on strengthening the efforts to move closer to the EU, resilience against disinformation, support for marginalised groups and those affected by the war (above all, refugee women, children and LGBTQ persons), as well as capacity building.

Germany supports Moldova in the civilian security sector with training and equipment in the spheres of border control and management, as well as for the Moldovan national police. Furthermore, the German Government is providing the Moldovan armed forces with direct assistance to enhance their tank, air and counter-drone defence capacities as well as personnel transport capacities, including through the procurement of armoured transport vehicles, anti-armour and counter-drone systems, as well as medical equipment.