It is about ten months since the central authorities offered the building of the former recreational centre Moscow to “Eugene Ionesco” for rehearsals and performances, but the theatre cannot move to the new headquarters yet. Only at the Government’s meeting on January 23, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism presented for approval the decision regarding the taking over of the building by the theatre from the ministry, Info-Prim Neo. Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev criticised the ministry for delaying this process and demanded that it more actively engage in the renovation and modernisation of the building. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, Petru Vutcarau, director of the theatre “Eugene Ionesco”, said that after the troupe of the theatre had a meeting with Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev and asked him to hasten the transmission of the building, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism worked out the necessary draft decisions very quickly. “The normative document that should have been issued within a week was worked out ten months later. In such circumstances, we cannot speak about repair,” Vutcarau said. According to Vutcarau, initially they agreed with the central authorities to renovate the building both from budgetary resources and from the theatre’s funds, but no proportions were fixed. He said that a number of renovation projects for the building will be examined at a meeting in the Presidential Office scheduled for January 24. An expenditure estimate will be drawn up afterwards. Vutcarau says that the Premier assured them they will receive the money earmarked for the reconstruction of the building. The theatre’s administration made effort to find resources to repair the new building from donors. The negotiations are in progress. Petru Vutcarau hopes the donors will soon agree to provide the lighting equipment needed by the theatre. Petru Vutcarau says that the building is in a poor condition. A technical examination revealed water leaks in the basement and cracks in the main walls. Besides reconstruction, the building must be replanned so as it meets the requirements and standards of a theatre. Late last March, the Presidential Office announced that the most famous theatre in Moldova that is about 16 years old, “Eugene Ionesco”, will have at last its own building – the building of the former recreational centre Moscow located on Renasterii Boulevard in Chisinau. "Eugene Ionesco" Theatre was founded on September 11, 1991 by a group of actors that graduated from the Moscow-based Theatre School "Shchiukin". In 1993, the theatre became a member of the Informal European Theatre Meeting. In 1994, it organised the first international theatre festival in Moldova, Biennale of "Eugene Ionesco" Theatre BITEI, in concert with the Ministry of Culture. The theatre won important prizes at international theatre festivals in Tallinn (Estonia), Ivano-Frankovsk (Ukraine), Oradea, Bucharest; the prize of the National Gala of Dramatic Recitals of the International Centre of Culture and Arts “George Apostu” and others.