PHOTO/ SUMMING UP 2024: Northern Region, attractive destination for investors, tourists, cooperation relations with development partners

Chisinau, 10 January /MOLDPRES/ - The activities of strategic planning and of implementing projects and programmes in the North Development Region, carried out by the North Regional Development Agency (ADR Nord) in 2024, were aimed at fulfilling the goals of regional development in fields of intervention, such as the supply with water and sewerage, urban development and turning to account the business infrastructure. At the same time, ADR Nord carried out activities of promotion of the North Development Region as an attractive destination for investors and tourists, by developing cooperation relations with the development partners.       

Strategic planning and cooperation partners

Among the most important achievements of ADR Nord in the last year, there were the elaboration and approval of the National Programme on the speeding up of the development of the Balti municipality as pole of development for the 2024-2028 years, the guide-book titled, Creation of the business plan and starting of electronic trade for small businesses in the rural environment, as well as a book of dishes specific for the North Development Region.    

Due to the good collaboration relations with foreign partners, ADR Nord in 2024 implemented three of projects, financed by Estonia, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and by Slovakia. The software projects implemented contributed to the development of businesses in the northern region, energy optimization and to the boosting of tourism in the region.   

Regionally, ADR Nord initiated the updating of the sectoral regional Programme in the field of enhancing the tourist attractiveness of the North Development Region, operationalized the working groups per field of smart specialization of the North Development Region, carried out trainings for turning to account the business infrastructure, organized workshops in fields related to regional development and elaboration of projects from European funds and promoted the policy of regional development and smart specialization in the North Development Region.  

Infrastructure projects with regional impact  

In 2024, ADR Nord finished the implementation of six infrastructure projects financed from the National Fund for Regional and Local Development (FNDRL).

As a result of the implementation of infrastructure projects with regional impact, preceded by a string of activities of planning, carried out to this end, ADR Nord recorded important results in three intervention sectors, for the benefit of the residents of the North Development Region.  

In the fields of supply with water and sewerage, ADR Nord implemented projects, within which a residual water-purifying station was constructed in Glodeni, a station for pumping residual waters in Edinet and 9.2 km of sewerage networks in Glodeni and Edinet were built. Also, a residual water pumping station was partially rehabilitated in Glodeni.  

Also, the residents of the Soroca city will benefit from improved sewerage services. In December 2024, in Chisinau, ADR Nord signed the contract on financing for the extension and improvement of the sewerage services in the Soroca city. Following the implementation of this investment measure, backed by the World Bank Group, with a budget of 8.2 million euros, a new water-purifying station will be built in Soroca with a capacity of 2,300 cubic metres/day, two pumping stations, 5.8 km of sewerage, 3 km of road and 2.5 km of power networks for the new water-purifying station.    

At the same time, in 2024, projects were initiated, the implementation of which will result in the ensuring of the access to water for about 10,000 residents from the Soroca district and for about 3.5 thousand residents from the Floresti district.  

Also, the contract on financing for the putting into operation of the water main Prut-Falesti was sign, which will ensure the access to drinking water for the settlements of the Falesti district.

At the same time, more settlements of the Rascani district will benefit from drinking water, after in 2024, with the World Bank Group’s support, a string of activities were carried out for the implementation of an investment measure through which the water supply services and the Prut cluster will be extended and improved.   

The urban development is an intervention field, in which more investments are made in the northern region; proof is the financing of seven projects on urban development and revitalization during the last year. Thus, the construction of a multifunctional sports complex was started in the Edinet city and the technical and city infrastructure for the Soroca subzone of the Ungheni-Business Free Economic Zone was constructed in Soroca. At the same time, within five projects on urban revitalization, squares, alleys and pavements were arranged in the towns of Drochia, Donduseni and Sangerei and sports fields were built.    

Monitoring and assessment

The monitoring and assessment represents an essential part of the ADR Nord’s effort for ensuring the sustainability of investments on the period of post-implementation of the infrastructure projects.  In this respect, in 2024, ADR Nord assessed two projects and monitored 18 projects on infrastructure earlier implemented, in order to ensure their sustainability.    

Contest for selection of infrastructure projects

Last year, ADR Nord carried out in northern Moldova a competitive call on the selection of regional development projects, launched by the Infrastructure Regional Development Ministry. In this respect, informative sessions were organized for the filling in of conceptual notes, which applicants submitted, for the first time ever, to the new information system on management of regional and local development projects (www.mrdp.midr.gov.md), created nationally.    

Events on promotion of development goals  

In 2024, ADR Nord organized a string of events, through which the regional development and the North Development Region were promoted.   

Last year, ADR Nord representatives paid study visits and participated in international events in Estonia, Romania, Poland, Egypt and Germany.  

The principal goals of ADR Nord in 2025 are: ensuring the access to quality services and public utilities, facilitating the economic growth, attraction of investments to the region and the improvement of the governance regionally. The turning to account of the cooperation relations with foreign partners will complete, in continuation, the string of priorities in the work of ADR Nord.