The Republic of Moldova is making significant progress in the fight against corruption, and the results achieved during the 30 years of independence place it at the forefront among the countries of the Eastern Partnership. This statement was made by Thomas Meyer, the manager of the regional project "Strengthening civil society in the Eastern Partnership” during the regional conference titled "The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Good Governance, Transparency, and Anti-Corruption," held on October 4 and 5 in Bălti. The event brought together over 60 representatives from the six Eastern Partnership countries: Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and the Republic of Moldova.

The conference participants discussed various topics, including the increased role of civil society organizations (CSOs), the necessity of enhancing transparency in the decision-making process, and measures to prevent corruption. They also explored the implementation of best practices in public financial management.

During the discussions, several solutions were proposed to strengthen responses to challenges in this field. These included the establishment of alternative  trade unions, a practice widely used in Romania, involving volunteers in state activities, and promoting participatory budgeting.

In the transparency chapter, participants were able to compare the experiences of different countries: that of Ukraine, where authorities, despite the devastating war, strive to be as transparent as possible, and at the other end - Belarus, a country where the government hides from civil society representatives, invoking "state secrecy."

In this context, Tamar Mosiașvili, the manager of the Association for Public Advocacy in Georgia, encouraged the civil society representatives from the Republic of Moldova, bringing the example of her country where, thanks to the efforts of CSOs, the practice of illegal collection of money in schools and the so-called gifts of was completely eradicated.

"A solid foundation has been laid, and the results are already evident. CSOs have gained significant influence and have become a powerful voice. These 'trees of transparency' now share the responsibility for organizing social services, supporting the people, and acting as a watchdog for executive groups," noted Thomas Meyer, the regional project manager for " Strengthening Civil Society in Eastern Partnership." He also emphasized that the Republic of Moldova has achieved notable successes in implementing anti-corruption mechanisms, ranking first among the six Eastern Partnership countries.

The exchange of experiences and best practices occurred within the projects " Strengthening of Civil Society in Eastern Partnership" and " Strengthening of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Mechanisms in the Republic of Moldova (ACT)," funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by the European Union, and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).