The European Union has said it has no evidence to support a claim by Moldova’s pro-Russian president, Igor Dodon, that officials in the country's pro-Western governments have pocketed hundreds of millions of dollars in aid the EU allocated to Moldova.
Dodon told the German newspaper Die Welt on April 5 that "more than half" of the 782 million euros allocated by the EU to Moldova between 2007 and 2015 “disappeared through murky channels...stolen by corrupt members of the so-called pro-European governments.”
European Commission spokesperson Maya Kocijancic told RFE/RL on April 5 that the EU has so far given Moldova about half of the amount Dodon mentioned. She added that the EU applies “strict measures to ensure that the money is spent safely."
"If Mr. Dodon is aware of any fraud, he should inform the competent authorities," Kocijancic added.
Moldova, one of the poorest former Soviet states, signed an Association Agreement with the EU in 2014.
Dodon has vowed to renegotiate the EU deal, saying it’s detrimental for Moldova’s economy.
On April 3, Dodon signed a memorandum on cooperation with the Moscow-dominated Eurasian Economic Union. But Moldova’s pro-Western Prime Minister Pavel Filip said the memorandum would have "no legal effect" as it lacks backing by the country’s parliament and government.
The post of president is largely ceremonial in Moldova.
