Romania to Increase Help for Moldovan Students

Romanian Education Minister is to offer this year almost 5,000 scholarships for Moldovan students, following huge interest among young people in the neighboring country.

“Only in the first week of this month more than 3,100 Moldovan students filled the necessary applications in order to start studying in Romania. So, we decided to supplement the number of scholarship from 2,150 to 5,000”, says state secretary from government’s Department for Romanians in Diaspora, Eugen Tomac.

Last year, Bucharest offered also more than 4,000 scholarships for young Moldovans.

Romania vie for influence in Moldova, where reforms are needed to end corruption and depoliticise key institutions like the judiciary and police. Moldova formed part of Romania from 1918 to 1940, when it was annexed by the Soviet Union before becoming independent in 1991. Today, about 80 per cent of the country’s population of 4.1 million are of Romanian ethnic origin and speak Romanian as well as Russian.

Ties between the two countries, which share a common language and history, warmed instantly after the Moldova opposition's victory in last year’s elections.

Bucharest aims to give around 25 million euro to Moldova this year alone in order to support democratization process in Moldova, but analysts say Romania has to do more in order to improve economic and cultural relations.

Romania has been offering scholarships for Moldovan students since 1991. Many Moldovans who have studied in Romania are now high-ranking officials, including ministers, MPs, mayors etc.