Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu said that the authorities had fulfilled all the commitments assumed within the bilateral agreement, stressing that the project envisages not only the construction of a new building, but also a comprehensive renovation of the entire historical quarter.
According to the head of the government, the placement of the new embassy and the arrangement of a public park with the preservation of the iconic stadium gates will give the neighborhood a new impetus for development, as it happened in other major cities, where American diplomatic missions contributed to the inflow of investment in infrastructure, education and services.
“From my own experience, I can say that I have seen entire neighborhoods change, particularly in Bucharest. For example, in Piper, after the construction of the new U.S. Embassy building, international schools appeared, shopping centers and modern roads were built. I think that this historical district of Chisinau is also waiting for a beautiful and harmonious development,” Munteanu said.
The process of transferring the plot of land to the United States included a complicated procedure of expropriation of private property located on the territory. According to the head of the Public Property Agency, Roman Cojuhari, the state paid compensations totaling over 96 million lei for 16 real estate objects, the ownership rights to which were confirmed according to the procedure established by law.
The official specified that the assessment of the assets was carried out by independent experts and took into account not only the physical value of the buildings, but also their economic potential. At the same time, the claims for compensation for unauthorized constructions or objects without supporting documents were rejected.
The head of the agency also said that 7.35 million euros had been allocated for the expropriation procedure. The US side has already transferred 3.2 million euros to pay the compensation. According to him, the remaining amount up to 4.94 million euros should arrive in the coming days.
The next stage of the project now depends on the American side, which has to confirm the purchase of the site and transfer the remaining €18 million to finalize the transfer of ownership.
It should be recalled that not all owners of the stadium property agree with the terms of expropriation, claiming that the authorities have significantly underestimated the compensation and violated the property valuation.
The authorities insist on the legitimacy of the expropriation.
