The event, organized by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry together with the Moldovan Investment Agency, was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Industry of Bulgaria. The occasion was the 9th meeting of the Intergovernmental Bulgarian-Moldovan Commission for Economic Cooperation, which took place in Chisinau this week.
The forum focused on the following sectors: energy; agriculture; tourism; light industry; pharmaceutical industry; construction etc.
Victor Parlikov, Minister of Energy of Moldova opened the forum and said that from 2021, Bulgaria is among the 10 most active trade partners of Moldova. The country's exports to Bulgaria are constantly growing and in 2023 will be 142 million USD. The two countries have common european goals, both in the field of energy and in other sectors.
He informed that Bulgaria and Moldova have confirmed their intentions to develop the Vertical Gas Corridor initiative. The joining of the gas transmission operator of Moldova to the other countries under the project is key to the success of the initiative and opens up new opportunities for synergy with European priorities for secure and reliable supply of natural gas.
Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Irina Stonova said at the opening of the event that the two governments are doing what is necessary to create conditions for business to develop bilateral relations. The meeting of the intergovernmental commission takes place after an 8-year hiatus. Within the framework of the commission, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the investment agencies from Bulgaria and Moldova.
Deputy Minister of Energy Iva Petrova, participating in the ninth session of the Intergovernmental Bulgarian-Moldovan Commission for Economic Cooperation, stated during the session of the commission that Bulgaria will continue to make efforts to assist Moldova in ensuring energy security and diversification of energy sources in the country, including in the field of natural gas and electricity.
Gabriela Dimitrova, director of international cooperation, presented the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a useful source of information for companies from Moldova, wishing to familiarize themselves with the conditions for import and export to/from Bulgaria, looking for partners and wanting to build a strategy for entering the Bulgarian and European market.
Representatives of the main partners of the BCCI in the country also took part in the forum - the Moldovan Agency for Investments and Innovations and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova.
Presentation part
Presentations were made by Innovation and Technology Park Moldova, the Bulgarian Investment Agency, the Sofia Privatization and Investment Agency and Bulgarian Energy Holding.
Examples of successful partnerships and investments were presented by Moldincombank, a financial institution established as a Bulgarian investment in Moldova, "Purkari" winery, which invested in Bulgaria, and "Panda Tour" with a description of our country as a key tourist destination for Moldovan tourists.
There were over 60 participants from both sides in the forum. Meetings were held at the level of companies and companies - state institutions.
The representative of BCCI also met with colleagues from the Taraclia region (the area with the highest concentration of Bessarabian Bulgarians in Moldova), where several initiatives were discussed, which will start in the fall of 2024. The program of the Bulgarian business delegation continues with meetings with partner organizations.