Switzerland is an important economic partner of the Republic of Moldova. The potential of the economic and commercial relations between the two states should be developed in such areas as agriculture, renewable energy, IT, industry and tourism, secretary of state at the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure Iuliana Drăgălin stated in the meeting of the Moldovan-Swiss intergovernmental commission for commercial and economic cooperation. The official encouraged the Swiss side and the interested companies to fully profit from the opportunities existing in the ICT sector by becoming residents of Moldova IT Park and of other industrial platforms, IPN reports.
Iuliana Drăgălin thanked the Swiss side for the medical equipment for containing the COVID-19 pandemic, to the total value of over €1.3 million, supplied to the Republic of Moldova. “The year 2020 was a difficult one and with many challenges for each of us. It left an imprint on the economic and social life worldwide. Only by combining forces and diversifying the cooperation areas, we can overcome the economic crisis,” stated the official.
The sides assessed the economic situation in Moldova and in Switzerland, especially in the context of the restrictions and economic crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. There were also presented the main measures implemented by the Governments of the two states for limiting the contamination of the population and for supporting the business sector. The co-presidents of the commission also assessed the bilateral trade and the flow of bilateral investments.
Also, the sides agreed to step up cooperation in such vital fields as cooperation for development and foreign assistance, environment, agriculture, rural development, education and research, methodology, multilateral cooperation with the EFTA and EU member states.
Trade between Moldova and Switzerland in 2019 came to over US$120 million. In January-October 2020, trade totaled over US$73 million. As many as 101 enterprises with Swiss capital operate in Moldova at present. Their investments in the share capital add up to 394.516 million lei.
