Events

In the context of the visit to the Republic of Moldova by the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ms Angela Merkel, Deputy Prime Minister Valeriu Lazăr, Minister of Economy met the Chairman of the Committee for Economic Relations with Eastern Europe, Mr Eckhard Cordes and a group of German investors developing businesses in the Republic of Moldova or interested in emerging in our country, including Sudzucker AG, Marquard & Bahls AG (Tirex Petrol), Metro Cash & Carry Moldova SRL, Claas KGaA mbH, Leoni AG.

The Minister of Economy took stock of the Republic of Moldova’s most important advantages for foreign investors, adding that our country offers a wide range of opportunities for them. In this context, Valeriu Lazăr referred to the facilitated trade regime with the EU, which is very advantageous for the Republic of Moldova, but also to the array of free trade agreements with CIS countries.
at the hearing, the constraints faced by German investors were also discussed, but solutions to remove them were also identified. Among the existing constraints, business people mentioned the high number of control procedures, the need for fast and reliable customs procedures, the need to improve infrastructure, ensuring the right level of training for professionals. Deputy Prime Minister Valeriu Lazăr indicated that the governance of the Republic of Moldova has a clear vision for development and that maximum efforts are being made to remove these constraints for foreign investors in the agricultural field.

Another obsatcol, identified by German investors in attracting foreign investment to the Republic of Moldova, particularly in agriculture, is the impossibility of buying pastures in the Republic of Moldova. In this regard, Deputy Prime Minister Valeriu Lazăr has pointed out that this is a sensitive issue and the Government is currently analysing international best practices in this area in order to identify appropriate solutions for attracting foreign investors.

in a different vein, the Minister of Economy referred to a new round of privatisations, which will start in autumn this year, and invited German bussinesmans to participate in this process. Valeriu Lazăr also spoke about the importance of involving German investors in Private Public Partnerships. This has highlighted the public infrastructure sectors and projects of national interest proposed for development through public-private partnerships. The Government of the Republic of Moldova currently has proposals for PPP projects in various fields, such as the concession of Chișinău International Airport, the modernisation of Bălți International Airport, in the field of health: Diagnostic and Laboratory Service, Medical Imaging and Radiology Service, Haemodialysis Service, Rehabilitation Service, Sport and Agreement – Design and Construction of the Republican Stadium, in the implementation of the Intelligent Automated Information System for Road Traffic Monitoring, etc. "The Government’s serious approach to this opportunity is also confirmed by the establishment of the National Council for Private Public Partnership, which is a platform for dialogue and cooperation between the private and governmental sectors. “a concluded Valeriu Lazăr.

At the end of the discussions, the parties agreed to maintain a constant dialogue and promote Moldovan-German relations for the benefit of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova and the Federal Republic of Germany. The Minister of Economy once again encouraged German business representatives to blame with investments in the Republic of Moldova, reiterating their openness and willingness to collaborate and support.

In the first half of this year, total trade between the two countries amounted to USD 222.45 million. in the first six months of this year, Moldova exported goods worth USD 33.45 million to Germany. The Federal Republic of Germany ranks 8th among the countries to which the Republic of Moldova exports, accounting for 3.2 % of the Republic of Moldova’s total export volume. Our country imported 189 million dollars worth of German products or 5,5 per cent more than in January-June 2011. The Federal Republic of Germany ranks 4th among the countries from which the Republic of Moldova imports, accounting for 7.7 % of the Republic of Moldova’s total import volume.
Moldova has 167 companies with German capital and the amount of German investment is EUR 66 million. This represents 7,3 per cent of the total amount of foreign investment in Moldova.The largest companies in Moldova with German capital include ‘Sudzucker-Moldova’, ‘Mabanaft-Moldova’, ‘Knauf’, ‘Metro’, ‘Steilmann’, ‘Draxlmaier’, Leoni, ProCredit Bank, etc.
in its 20 years of cooperation, Germany has implemented technical assistance (non-repayable) projects worth almost EUR 40 million in Moldova.