Representatives of nine Lithuanian companies and more than 50 Moldovan economic entities came together for a business forum on January 27, Info-Prim Neo reports. The forum was organized by Moldova's Chamber of Trade and Industry (CCI) in cooperation with the International Chamber of Commerce of Lithuania on the occasion of the Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius's visit to Chisinau. The CCI head Gheorghe Cucu said the forum aims to reestablish the older business partnerships and to initiate new ones and to intensify and diversify the economic cooperation relations between the two countries. Though trade between Moldova and Lithuania during eleven months last year had increased by over 6% compared with the corresponding period last year, it remains at a low level, of only about US$25 million. There are 19 companies with Lithuania capital working in Moldova. “We have enough reserves and opportunities that we should use and this forum is a good occasion for this. I hope the cooperation between the Chambers of Trade will also develop. I want to say that the business environment in Moldova is favorable and I invite Lithuanian businessmen to make investments in our country,” said Moldovan Premier Vlad Filat. Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius stressed that the Government of Moldova is strong and efficient and it will help Moldova overcome the crisis and make progress on the path to European integration. “The European Union did not say when Moldova will become a member of the EU, but I think this can happen sooner than many people expect. Moldova's European aspirations open new prospects for the Lithuanian businessmen as well as for the Moldovan ones as they would be able to identify new markets in the EU and new partners,” he said. Algimantas Akstinas, director general of the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists of the International Chamber of Commerce, invited the Moldovan companies to do business in Lithuania's transport sector and service sector, which account for 66% of the country's economy. “During the last 15 years, we have cooperated with Moldova and supplied it with measuring equipment for the metrology laboratory. The crisis stopped some of the projects, but we did not lose hope. We need new partners that would want to channel money into innovative projects. Our company identified EU funds and is looking for bold and energetic partners. I hope we will find some of them during the “Made in Moldova” exhibition that we will visit on Wednesday, “ Ianas Bumbulis, the director of the Lithuanian company Locmis, said in an interview.