Germany will continue to support Moldova on the path to European integration, Julia Kahrl, deputy head of the German Embassy in Chisinau, said Tuesday during a news conference held after the signing of the protocol on the provision of 8.5 million euros in financial assistance to Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports. Under the agreement, 5 million euros will be directed to the Social Investment Fund, which earlier also benefited from German financial assistance. The other 3.5 million euros designed for technical cooperation will be distributed to the following projects: Modernization of the Agricultural Sector, Modernization of the Public Utilities, Support to Craftsmen’s Chamber and Professional Formation, and to the Studies and Specialists Fund. Otmar Greiff, representative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, approved of the work of the German organizations that implement projects in Moldova. Among these are: the German Technical Cooperation Bureau, which is now implementing seven projects, the International Center for Migration, the Senior Experts Service, etc. “The bigger Moldova’s commitment to implement democratic reforms, the larger will be Germany’s will to provide support,” the German official said. Holger Neuweger, of the German Technical Cooperation Bureau (GTZ) for Ukraine and Moldova, said the Bureau implements projects in 120 countries. The GTZ came to Moldova in 1994. “Through our projects, we actively engage in the promotion of economic and legal reforms in Moldova at the national and regional levels. At the regional level, we helped create microfinance institutions and there are about 400 such institutions at present. We also launch new projects. One project is aimed at supporting the small farmers. During the first months of next year, we will start a project to improve the public utilities,” Holger Neuweger said. The technical and financial assistance offered by the Federal Republic of Germany to Moldova after the signing of the protocol amounts to about 40 million euros.