He expressed this view at the Romania Government Roundtable conference organized by The Economist Publishing Group in Bucharest, within the section dedicated to relations with Moldova.
Sturza emphasized that until recently the relations between Chisinau and Bucharest were about poetry and culture, not economy, and only in the last 6-7 years the situation has changed.
“Now there is a real cooperation between the two countries, we encourage Romanian businesses to come to Moldova. Many changes are taking place,” Ion Sturza said.
“Four or five years ago there were only two flights from Bucharest to Chisinau, but now the planes are full,” said the former prime minister.
Moldova has turned from an invisible country into a center of soft power, the businessman remarked. (Apparently, he was referring to the fact that this year Moldova was included in the “soft power” rating. soft power ranking Global Soft Power Index 2026, developed by Brand Finance, ranking 128th out of 193. – Editor’s note).
“The Moldovan market and economy have become profitable from a business point of view. It is natural for Romanian business to come to Moldova. Cultural and linguistic proximity is the first advantage,” Ion Sturza said.
Although Moldova’s economy is considered small, it has a market worth several tens of billions and should be considered by Romanian investors. It is also a region that could become important in the context of Ukraine’s future recovery.
“The Republic of Moldova even today is a very important hub for everything that happens in Ukraine, for specialized supplies, including military supplies. Half of Ukraine today uses logistics from the Republic of Moldova, including the logistics center for Ukrainian leaders’ trips abroad, which is also located in Chisinau,” Ion Sturza announced the strategic information.
Therefore, the businessman urged Romanian investors: “Cross the Prut before it’s too late, if there is still room for you.”
“I have dozens of examples of companies that crossed the Prut and were extremely satisfied. Very satisfied. It’s a profitable market, a fair market. You have customers, you have opportunities to develop production. Just don’t get your hopes up for lucrative deals in this area. Don’t be bargainers in Chisinau. Everything is already quite well established and quite expensive there,” warned Sturza.
He recommended that only companies with large capacities enter the agricultural market, as Moldova is suffering a lot from climate change and needs irrigation and technology. Industry is also a challenging area because cheap labor is no longer available in Moldova.
“Investors should come with high value-added businesses,” says Ion Sturza.
An area of interest for Romanian companies could be the development of production facilities in Moldova to serve other countries, a market for international groups. European funds are starting to come to Moldova, which means that projects worth tens of millions are already available for Romanian investors, the businessman emphasized.
After resigning as Prime Minister of Moldova, Ion Sturza held a senior position in Rompetrol (Vice President, member of the Board of Directors), participating in the regional expansion of the company. After leaving the group, he became an influential investor in Romania, working in e-commerce, real estate, investment funds and industrial projects.
