President Maia Sandu said that the justice reform has “modest results, even if the political will and popular support to change things in this area are stronger than ever,” a statement from the presidential administration in Chisinau said.

The head of state also noted that there is great resistance from some people in the judiciary and anti-corruption institutions to efforts to cleanse the judiciary of corrupt elements and strengthen the capacity of the institutions. 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).

“But the stakes of these reforms are enormous – without a fair justice system, the economy cannot grow and people’s living standards cannot rise. Without true justice we cannot build a fully functioning state that can protect its citizens. Equally important – justice reform is a prerequisite for the country’s accession to the EU,” said Maia Sandu.

President Maia Sandu thanked USAID Deputy Administrator Erin McKee and US Ambassador to Moldova Kent D. Logsdon for the substantial support of approximately $2 billion provided by the US Government and USAID to our country over the past three decades in many important areas, including justice. The Head of State also praised the contribution of US partners to justice reform, including the extraordinary external evaluation process of judges and prosecutors.