Moldovan-Czech business forum held in Prague

Chisinau, 9 May /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Ministers Pavel Filip and Bohuslav Sobotka today participated in a Moldovan-Czech business forum, organized on the occasion of an official visit to Prague by the Moldovan PM, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.  

At the meeting, in which over 80 entrepreneurs from the two countries took part, the officials referred to the economic potential and experience of the Czech Republic and Moldova. PMs Filip and Sobotka stressed the importance to stimulate the commerce and mutual investments, launch projects with long-term perspective, as well as to establish contacts between the business environments of the two countries.   

Prime Minister Pavel Filip emphasized that the Moldovan government was business-oriented, focused on removing administrative obstacles and ensuring transparency in the business activity. “The enhancement of business people’s trust in the state bodies is one of our priorities. We put emphasis not only on getting impact from large-scale projects, but also on increasing the competitiveness and contribution of small- and medium-sized enterprises to the development of the native economy,” Pavel Filip said.   

In the context, PM Filip informed about the pro-business reforms, such as reducing the number of control institutions, number of permissive acts, as well as about the stabilization of the economic situation, re-launching of cooperation with foreign donors and, respectively, the unlocking of financial assistance on behalf of them. All these actions led to the improvement of Moldova’s position in various international rankings in the economy sector.   

The Moldovan prime minister showed confidence that the Moldovan-Czech business forum would ensure switch from contacts to concrete contracts. “We will do our utmost to ensure a high level of cooperation between our states, through communication and regular interaction, for the benefit of business circles of Moldova and the Czech Republic,” Pavel Filip said.     

Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka, for his part, highlighted the growth of the Moldovan-Czech relations, both at the governmental and economic levels. “Moldova is a country willing to modernize its economy and infrastructure and we are open for exchange of experience, as well as technical assistance expressed in concrete projects,” Sobotka said.    

The officials also discussed possibilities of boosting the bilateral trade, including the export in wine products, with the Czech Republic being one of the target markets for Moldovan wine-makers. The foreign commerce between Moldova and the Czech Republic amounted to 84.43 million dollars in 2016, up by 7.3 per cent against 2015.     

As for investments, PM Pavel Filip expressed openness for an as active as possible involvement of Czech companies in the Moldovan economy and creation of a friendly climate for investments.   

In the end, the sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the energy efficiency sector and other related fields.