Moldova intends to attract new investments for the development of industrial and agri-food sectors
This was stated during a special session held within the Moldova Business Week 2024 forum in the industrial park “Edinet”, which gathered over 60 participants: high-ranking Moldovan officials, local and foreign entrepreneurs, development partners. The event, organized by Invest Moldova Agency, Moldova Electronics Association (ACEM), Moldova Fruct Association of Fruit Producers and Exporters with the support of the European Union, became an important platform for dialogue and cooperation for the sake of the country's economic future. The discussions touched upon topical issues related to the business environment, export promotion and new partnerships. The participants emphasized the importance of attracting foreign investors, developing the industrial and agri-food sectors and strengthening cooperation between local and foreign entrepreneurs. They also discussed new investment profiles, as well as cooperation opportunities that Moldova will face once the EU accession negotiations start. The mayor of Edineti municipality Constantin Cojocaru said that it is very important to be active at the local level, and the support of external partners plays a decisive role in the development of the region. “We know very well that only with our own resources we would not have progressed far, but together we managed to turn Edineti into one of the most visible and successful towns in terms of energy, transportation, accessibility and many other aspects,” he said. For her part, the Head of the C1 unit of the EU Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), Diana Jablonska, highlighted the importance of the European support, stressing that the EU helped the Moldovan companies to make progress, for which it made active efforts to promote good governance, social and economic development. She said that as Moldova advances on the EU integration path, the cooperation between local authorities and companies becomes even more important. “The EU reiterates its commitment to stand by Moldova: together, we will further consolidate the success of our joint initiatives, which aim at a prosperous, democratic and European Moldova,” Diana Jablonska said. State Secretary of the Agriculture and Food Ministry Andrian Digolian emphasized the importance of investments in the agri-food sector, noting that agriculture and food industry account for about 20 per cent of Moldova's GDP. About 40 per cent of the country's exports are food products. 67% of land plots in Moldova are agricultural land. “Our main task is to implement new technologies in this sector and attract investments,” he said. For his part, State Secretary of the Economic Development and Digitalization Ministry, Viorel Garaz, drew attention to the importance of digitalization and innovation for economic development. He said that industrial parks are the future of investments in Moldova, and the Edinet industrial park is a clear example in this sense. “The combination of agriculture and advanced technologies provides businesses with significant added value. We are capable of building an advanced economy, and our development partners support us in this endeavor, for which we express our gratitude,” Viorel Garaz said. The director of the Investment Agency, Natalia Bejan, highlighted the success of the regional events, emphasizing that the event held in Edineti is one of the numerous regional events held within the Moldova Business Week 2024 forum. “There are so many positive things happening and we have so many success stories. Moldova has such a productive potential that we sometimes don't even realize. Although Moldova is a small country, it is the leading exporter of plums to the European Union and the 3rd largest exporter of plums in the world. The industrial sectors represented today in Edinet, namely agri-food and electronics, are among the fields in which we have a clear competitive advantage,” she said. The event was preceded by visits to 2 local companies operating in the north of the country: Darurile Basarabiei in Singerei district and Novo Plum Fruct in Riscani district. The forum participants who visited these companies were able to study the potential of the agri-industrial sector and the possibilities of domestic producers to export to the European Union. More than 1000 entrepreneurs and investors gathered at the Moldova Business Week 2024 forum. This year, it is held under the slogan “Moldova - your next destination for investment”, takes place from September 16 to 20 and is held in several regions of the country. During 5 days in four regions of the country - Chisinau, Balti, Edinet and Ungheni - during the Moldova Business Week 2024 forum, participants discuss the investment climate in Moldova, fundraising and development of sustainable partnerships, including cooperation opportunities that will open with the start of negotiations on accession to the EU. The main topics addressed during the forum are focused on info-communication technologies, agri-food industry, automotive and electronics industry, pharmaceutical industry and medical tourism, energy and infrastructure, tourism and wine industry, non-residential real estate. Moldova Business Week is the largest platform connecting businessmen and investors from different countries and regions with suppliers of domestic goods and services. Moldova Business Week event is organized annually by Invest Moldova Agency in cooperation with development partners and central authorities. It brings together foreign investors, local and foreign entrepreneurs, businessmen, economic experts, analysts, representatives of state institutions and members of diplomatic missions accredited in Moldova. Moldova Business Week was first organized in 2014. // 19.09.2024 - InfoMarket.
