Austria interested in developing trade, economic ties with Moldova

Chisinau, 17 June /MOLDPRES/ - Deputy Prime Minister, Economics Minister Octavian Calmic and Bucharest-based Ambassador of Austria to Moldova Gerhard Reiweger discussed aspects of the trade and economic cooperation between Moldova and Austria at a meeting today.    

According to the Economics Ministry’s press service, the two officials said that  not all possibilities to extent the ties were presently turned to good account. The sides agreed that a very good platform for boosting the bilateral relations represented the Moldovan-Austrian intergovernmental commission for commercial and economic cooperation, a meeting of which is to take place in Vienna.     

Octavian Calmic stressed that a good platform for boosting the trade and economic ties was also an investment forum, Day of investment and business opportunities in Moldova, organized by the Economics Ministry. This event in 2015 brought together about 50 participants, including Austrian companies working in Romania and Moldova.   

Referring to the latest initiative by the Moldovan authorities to create an attractive environment for business and woo investments, the economics minister noted that a moratorium had been introduced on state controls, the number of permissive acts had been cut and the government had recently approved a decision on reducing the number of control bodies.

For his part, Ambassador Gerhard Reiweger said his country was interested in extending the relations with Moldova, including through implementing investment projects in the tourism, infrastructure, IT, energy sectors, etc.    

Data by the State Chamber show that, on 1 January 2016, 94 enterprises with Austrian capital were working in Moldova, with investments worth 404 million lei in the registered share capital.    

(Reporter A. Mardare, editor L. Alcaza)