The 9th edition of the Moldova Business Week 2024 Economic Forum was opened in Chisinau. For the first time, the event is taking place in four key regions - Chisinau, Edinet, Ungheni, and Balti – and brings together more than 1,000 participants, including foreign investors and local entrepreneurs, as well as high-ranking officials and top economic experts, IPN reports.
According to the organizers, the 9th edition aims to offer every entrepreneur in the Republic of Moldova extensive access to development opportunities, regardless of the region in which they are located. The investment climate in Moldova will be presented and networking opportunities will be promoted.
Prime Minister Dorin Recean said the event opens a whole week of events that will bring opportunities for business development in Moldova to the attention of the business community, the local one, but especially the international one.
“It is important for the people to know about the Republic of Moldova, to know the possibilities for development and also the local partners who can develop different projects. Likewise, we want to inform about the Government’s projects, infrastructure projects, whether it goes to roads, railways, and also the energy sector. Beyond the fact that we produce more and more green energy, we also have an electrification program or projects in the field of energy efficiency,” stated Dorin Recean.
The Premier noted that the business in the Republic of Moldova enjoy competitive advantages in the fields of infrastructure, roads, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, tourism, healthcare, agriculture with high added value, IT and services for e-business. We have shown that in the Republic of Moldova, we have talent, we have innovations. Long-term capital is needed to capitalize on this talent and innovations,” said Premier Recean.
Present at the event, the head of the European Union Delegation in Chisinau Jānis Mažeiks encouraged foreign investors to come to Moldova, the future member state of the European Union, and be confident that their investments will be successful. “The European Union and the Republic of Moldova already have a strong partnership and this is based on the Association Agreement, which has already been valid for 10 years,” noted the European ambassador.
“Two-thirds of Moldova’s imports come from the EU. Joining the EU comes with a series of challenges and necessary reforms. I’m sure that the authorities will successfully manage the justice sector reform. We expect that the economic recovery will start this year, regardless of the external situation. I’m glad to see so many foreign investments in the hall. We liberalized support for private sector development. It remains a priority area for us,” said the head of the European Union Delegation to Moldova.
Maria Longi, coordinator of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Coordinator for U.S. Assistance to Europe, reaffirmed the United States’ support for the Republic of Moldova, noting that support for the private sector has also been extended. “The ICT sector has become an engine of the economy. For example, the IT park with 190 companies is a very attractive hub. In 2023, the turnover of the residents of the IT park reached US$700 million. Moldova has made great strides in removing bureaucracy and improving the business environment. The U.S. Embassy continues to work to encourage the Government in this regard. We will continue with investments, especially in the private sector. I’m confident that we will see a Moldova that is increasingly resistant to external influences,” stated Maria Longi.
For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Dumitru Alaiba, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization, said that Moldova is not a market of 2 million people; it is a market of half a billion people. “We are moving quickly to the west. We are going through a tectonic transformation. As a government, we assumed the task of providing all companies with opportunities to excel. If you want to see what awaits us as a country in the next decade, look at the EU countries,” stressed the official.
The Moldova Business Week 2024 Forum is organized by the Investment Agency of the Republic of Moldova, in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, and runs until September 20.
