Julda Kielyte
This was the assessment given by Julda Kielyte, Head of the Competitive and Inclusive Growth Team at the EU Delegation in RM.
At the conference of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs “The Dream Gains Wings: Investments with Impact”, she expressed doubts that Moldova is now ready to function in a free economy and withstand the competitive pressure on the European market.
“Moldova has made a lot of progress this year in 21 out of 33 chapters. You all know that Moldova is very serious about joining the European Union. There is progress, there are achievements. But, of course, the overall level of preparation, I would say, is relatively low. Especially if we look at the economic criteria, by which we assess how Moldova will be able to function in a free economy and withstand the competitive pressure on the European market. I believe that the level of preparation now is only at the initial stages. There is still a lot of work to be done and I am looking forward to supporting the development in this field,” Julda Kielyte said.
She emphasized that reforms are key for attracting investments: “In addition, in the context of transformations it is necessary to mention the reform of justice – investors follow it very closely, it is important for them before they decide to invest,” she added, also noting the need to reduce bureaucracy.
The EU representative also outlined the most promising, in her opinion, sectors for investment, paying special attention to the energy sector: “We see quite a lot of potential in the energy market. As we have seen over the last few years, Moldova has implemented many reforms to increase security and independence in the energy sector. I think this is outstanding. It’s an area that investors are eager to invest in. And tenders in the near future in the energy sector will be a good opportunity for EU investors.”
Julda Kielyte mentioned other areas with great investment potential: services, IT, furniture, FinTech. But agriculture and, especially, the processing industry remain a priority.
