The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Moldova and Romania intend to sign a partnership agreement to enable Moldova to receive development assistance directly from Romania, avoiding intermediaries, said Romanian Ambassador to Moldova Marius Lazurca at the first Moldo-Romanian NGO Forum. The Forum's session held in Chisinau on Thursday was preceded by a session in Iasi, held under the aegis of the Federation of Nongovernmental Organizations of Romanian in partnership with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Forum's agenda included discussions about the development assistance offered by Romania as a EU member state. According to Marius Lazurca, it is important to correctly identify the mechanisms of providing this aid. The Romanian diplomat expressed his hope that the NGOs will be able to impart to the public authorities the promptitude, the creativity and responsibility that they need in developing European integration policies. “This Forum is taking place in very important times for Moldova, when the EU is looking for possibilities to help our country come closer to European standards. Romania's experience in consolidating dialogue between the government and civil society is crucial in developing and implementing integration policies”, said Eugen Caras, the vice director of the Moldovan MFA's European Integration Department. The Forum addressed issues concerning the modernization of institutions, the NGOs' contribution to developing trans-border projects, projects to rehabilitate infrastructure, etc.