Presidency of the Republic of Moldova
The head of state said that justice reform has modest results, even though the political will and popular support to change things in this area are stronger than ever. The President mentioned that there is great resistance from some people in the judicial system and in the anti-corruption institutions to the efforts to clean the judiciary system of corrupt elements and to strengthen the capacity of the institutions. But the stakes of these reforms are enormous - without fair justice, the economy cannot develop and, accordingly, people's living standards cannot increase. Without true justice, we cannot build a fully functional state that can protect citizens. Equally important - justice reform is the primary condition for the country's accession to the EU.
The statements were made at the launch event of the Justice Reform and Anti-Corruption Project (JARA), funded with six million US dollars by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
President Maia Sandu thanked the Deputy Administrator of USAID, Erin McKee, and the US Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, Kent D. Logsdon, for the substantial support, of approximately two billion dollars, provided over the last three decades by the US Government and USAID to our country in many important areas, including justice. The head of state appreciated the contribution of the American partners to justice reform, including the extraordinary external evaluation process of judges and prosecutors.
