Moldovan President Maia Sandu at a forum
The event is traditionally held under the auspices of the Romanian royal family and is a platform for exchanging ideas, creating partnerships and launching economic projects.
This time it was attended by more than 500 representatives of the business environment, as well as officials and heads of business associations from the Republic of Moldova and Romania.
President Maia Sandu appealed to Romanian entrepreneurs to invest in Moldova, so that our country “can become part of a growing economy that is gradually joining the European market, with which it is increasingly connected”.
International cooperation and sustainable development, innovation and technology transfer, green economy and sustainable solutions, smart agriculture, diplomacy and European integration are just some of the topics discussed at this year’s Chisinau Economic Forum.
Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization Doina Nistor highlighted the important role of Romania as Moldova’s main economic partner, which accounts for 21.3% of the country’s total foreign trade.
In 2024, the trade turnover between the two states reached an impressive level of $2.7 billion, with 1,642 enterprises with Romanian capital registered in Moldova, which made investments worth over 6.7 billion Moldovan lei.
Doina Nistor urged the participants in the economic forum to benefit from the state assistance mechanism, worked out jointly with the EU partners, which reimburses up to 60 per cent of the investments made in strategic sectors of the economy, thus opening new opportunities for local and international entrepreneurs.
In the context of global economic uncertainties, Governor of the National Bank of Moldova Anca Dragu emphasized the NBM’s firm commitment to maintain macroeconomic stability, to defend confidence in the banking system and to back Moldova’s European path. At the same time, Anca Dragu emphasized the need to create a competitive and safe investment environment, based on transparency, sound regulation and reliable financial infrastructure.
Dragu said that Moldova’s accession to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) was an important milestone. This is a historic achievement, which anchors Moldova in the European financial system.
“Moldova’s admission to SEPA on March 6, 2025 marks a fundamental change in the way Moldovan citizens and companies will interact with European markets: faster, safer and significantly cheaper euro transfers, significantly lower fees, fair access to modern financial services and full integration into European trading mechanisms. For citizens, joining SEPA means more favorable transfers, more money in their pockets and access to financial services at the level of European standards. For the business environment, this achievement means increased competitiveness, lower operating costs and greater export and investment opportunities,” the NBM Governor concluded.
Tags: economic forum, Romania, royal family
