The official development assistance granted by Romania last year amounted to 587 million dollars, the highest level to date, continuing the upward trend of the last ten years, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported on Wednesday, as cited by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The advance marks a 14% increase in Romania’s 2024 ODA figure compared to 2023.

„The OECD announcement is relevant also in the light of the fact that although Romania is not a member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), it remains firmly committed to rendering international development cooperation and humanitarian assistance more efficient, with a direct impact on the development of partner states and on the process of its accession to the OECD and the DAC,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The main beneficiary of the assistance provided by Romania in 2024 was the Republic of Moldova, with over 50% of the total bilateral official development assistance (76.6 million dollars), up 19% compared to the previous year. The implemented actions contributed to strengthening Moldova’s institutional capacity in view of its EU accession, as well as to combating the effects of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Romania’s constant cooperation with Ukraine, the Western Balkans states, Africa and the Middle East continued in 2024 in accordance with the goals set forth under the 2024-2027 Multiannual Strategic Program for International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance, a programmatic document that guides Romania’s actions in the international cooperation policy for development and humanitarian assistance.

Romania also contributed to efforts to mitigate the effects of the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, acting in close coordination with its international partners for the evacuation and provision of specialized medical treatment for Palestinian civilians in Romanian hospitals.

As an ODA donor state, Romania reports to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) the implemented actions and the contributions granted by national public institutions in support of developing countries. From this perspective, the Foreign Ministry, which is the national coordinator of the international development cooperation and humanitarian assistance policy, annually collects and reports to the OECD the data on the official development assistance granted at national level.

AGERPRES