During a working visit to Brussels, President of the National Bank of Moldova Anca Dragu holds negotiations with high-ranking European officials.
As noted in the message of the National Bank, the topics on the agenda relate, in particular, to her priorities as President of the NBM, progress in the context of fulfilling the criteria for Moldova’s accession to the EU, macroeconomic events and economic prospects for Moldova, etc. On the first day of the visit, February 8, Anca Dragu held a bilateral meeting with the Director for International Economic and Financial Relations of the European Commission's Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), Annika Eriksgaard. The parties discussed macroeconomic events, as well as the contribution of the NBM to the European integration process of Moldova, including the current Twinning assistance project “Consolidation of supervision, corporate governance and risk management in the financial sector”, implemented in Moldova with the support of the European Union. Another meeting concerned the goal of Moldova’s accession to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) as a result of the signing of our country’s request by the President of the National Bank of Moldova Anca Dragu on January 30, 2024. Thus, during the discussion held by Anca Dragu with the Director General of the European Payments Council Giorgio Andreoli Moldova's efforts to further implement EU standards and best practices were highlighted. “It was an honor for me to sign the SEPA membership application. This moment demonstrated the strong commitment of the National Bank of Moldova to the European path of Moldova,” the NBM President emphasized. At the same time, Anca Dragu expressed confidence that Moldova has every chance of joining SEPA, since significant achievements have been recorded in the adoption and implementation of relevant legislation, harmonized with EU standards, in the field of payment services, banking, anti-money laundering, free movement capital, personal data protection and other key areas. Joining SEPA, as well as other economic and financial topics, were also discussed at Anca Dragu's meeting with John Berrigan, Director General of the European Commission's Directorate General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA). During the meeting, the head of the National Bank noted that the NBM is interested in receiving from the EU recognition of the results of reforms in the banking sector as part of assessing the compliance of national banking legislation with EU legislation. “Such recognition will increase the attractiveness of the domestic banking sector for investors,” emphasized Anca Dragu. Discussions between the NBM President and European dignitaries will continue on the afternoon of February 9 during the high-level conference “Central Bank Independence in a Changing World.” The event was organized for a group of IMF members, which includes Moldova. // 09.02.2024 - InfoMarket
