Anca Dragu
The choice of Iași as the venue for the forum highlights its strategic role as the ‘eastern gateway’ to the European Union, linking Western investment with the emerging markets of the Republic of Moldova and future reconstruction projects in Ukraine. The forum’s programme brought together business leaders, ministers, diplomats, venture capitalists and representatives of the academic community from the US, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.
The focus was on energy, technology and security
Discussions centred on the region’s key challenges and opportunities. Forum participants discussed attracting private American capital to infrastructure and energy projects in eastern Romania and neighbouring states to ensure energy independence. Panel discussions centred on the implementation of artificial intelligence, cyber security, quantum technologies and mechanisms for Romanian start-ups to access US venture capital funds.
Particular attention was paid to strengthening NATO’s eastern flank through joint defence projects and technology transfer.
Moldova as a promising investment hub
A notable highlight of the forum was the active participation of a delegation from the Republic of Moldova. Speaking to investors, Anca Dragu, Governor of the National Bank of Moldova, outlined the country’s macroeconomic potential. She highlighted Moldova’s progress towards EU integration and the benefits of joining the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), which makes the Moldovan financial sector as transparent and attractive as possible for American companies.
The National Bank Governor’s speech was delivered under the slogan: ‘Moldova offers a stable financial environment and attractive investment opportunities.’ In the same context, the Governor highlighted progress in strengthening energy security, as well as investment opportunities in the technology sector.
“For investors, Moldova today presents a completely different reality to that of a few years ago. European integration has accelerated, the financial system has become stronger and more closely linked to European markets, the payment infrastructure has been transformed, and dependence on energy resources has significantly decreased,” said NBM Governor Anca Dragu.
From dialogue to contracts: the B2B format and partnership with Texas
The second day of the forum was entirely devoted to practical business collaboration. Through a B2B matchmaking format, with 12 sector-specific roundtables, entrepreneurs from the region were able to hold direct negotiations with representatives of American chambers of commerce.
A highlight of the forum was the special session ‘Texas Welcomes Iași’, aimed at establishing direct economic ties between the business communities of Iași and the state of Texas, including representatives from Houston. The updated ‘Invest in Iași’ investment guide was also presented to the American guests.
The organisers note that the forum has laid a solid foundation for long-term agreements. The next step in strengthening bilateral ties will be a large-scale economic mission by Romanian companies to the US (Atlanta), scheduled for November 2026.
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.
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