Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews visited Moldova from May 6-8, 2015. The purpose of his trip was to better understand Moldova’s commercial environment and show U.S. support for Moldova’s future economic success.
Deputy Secretary Andrews discussed potential future cooperation between the United States and Moldova during his meetings with Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici, Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu, and Foreign Minister Natalia Gherman. He emphasized the need for reforms that would promote private sector investment in Moldova, including the timely passage of legislation that would strengthen the independence of the General Prosecutor’s Office, provide regulatory clarity for energy companies, and establish new standards of corporate governance in the banking sector.
In meetings with Deputy Minister of Economy Tudor Copaci and Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Ion Sula, Deputy Secretary Andrews discussed possible sectors and areas of cooperation for U.S. companies, including wine, IT, and energy. He underscored the need to continue the fight against corruption and to create predictable, transparent, and enforceable rules and regulations.
Deputy Secretary Andrews also met with the American Chamber of Commerce, alumni from the Department of Commerce’s Special American Business Internship Training (SABIT) program and several American businesspeople to hear about their experiences doing business in Moldova. During his visit, Deputy Secretary Andrews learned about historical sites in Chisinau and visited Cricova to better understand the wine sector.
