The 12th plenary meeting of the Moldovan-Romanian intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation is taking place in Bucharest.
According to the Moldovan Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, since 2018, since the last meeting of the said intergovernmental commission (November 14-15, 2018), the bilateral relations between Moldova and Romania have become stronger and more efficient than ever. Within the 12th meeting of the Moldovan-Romanian intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation, Bucharest will also host on Tuesday the Moldova-Romania Economic Forum, which will be chaired by Moldovan Economic Development and Digitalization Minister Dumitru Alaiba and Romanian Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism Minister Stefan-Radu Oprea. The event will be attended by representatives of the specialized economic commissions of the Romanian Senate and Chamber of Deputies, heads of the Moldovan and Romanian investment agencies, presidents of the two countries' Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the head of the Association of Romanian Investors in Moldova. The sides will discuss, among other things, the best practices of bilateral trade in the context of Moldova's progressive integration into the EU internal market. The Moldova-Romania Economic Forum will include presentations of investment opportunities, thematic discussions on current business trends and a B2B session. According to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova, the Moldova-Romania Economic Forum represents a framework for dialog and cooperation between the business environments of both countries, offering opportunities to explore investment potential and identify trade partnerships in an environment conducive to the exchange of ideas and experience. As InfoMarket reported earlier, the volume of Moldovan exports to Romania in 2023 amounted to $1 billion 420.8 million, up by 14.5% compared to 2022. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the share of domestic goods supplies to Romania in the total volume of Moldovan exports increased from 28.64% to 35.09% during the mentioned period. At the same time, the volume of imports from Romania in January-December 2023, compared to the same period of the previous year, decreased by 21.1% - to $1 billion 300 million, and its share in the total Moldovan imports decreased from 17.87% to 14.99%. As a result, Moldova's trade surplus with Romania in 2023 amounted to $120.8 million against a negative balance of $406.7 million a year earlier. Romania was Moldova's largest export trading partner in 2023, having purchased the most Moldovan products in monetary terms during the period. It also ranked 1st in terms of the volume of goods supplied to our country in value terms. According to the Romanian statistics, Romania has tripled the trade turnover with Moldova over the last 10 years - up to 3 billion euros. In particular, in the 10 years since the signing of the Association and Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, Romania has become Moldova's largest trade partner, and the trade turnover between the two countries increased from 1 billion euros in 2014 to 3 billion euros by 2024. Romania has become one of the main investors in Moldova with a total investment of 400 million euros. // 09.04.2024 – InfoMarket
