The 2,000 projects that have been completed so far have created almost 20,000 jobs in the country, by the ministry’s estimates.
“Around 80% of the beneficiaries are people younger than 40 and women,” said the minister.
The National Rural Development Program has almost EUR10 billion at its disposal between 2007 and 2013, including EUR8 billion from the European Union and the rest from the state budget.
The minister has asked the EU to allot an extra EUR700 million to the program, to be invested in rural infrastructure.