The intergovernmental Commission on European Integration and Economic Cooperation between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, meeting at its 4th session in Bucharest on October 23, has signed a protocol covering a wide range of areas like trade, small- and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs), agriculture, food safety, and research, Info-Prim Neo reports. The document was signed by the co-chairmen if the commission – Moldovan Senior Deputy Prime Minister Igor Dodon, who is also Minister of Economy and Trade, and Romanian Minister for SMEs, Trade and Tourism Ovidiu Silaghi. “Despite a two-year break in our meetings, we are now pleased to find that the Moldo-Romanian relations concerning trade and investment have been rising”, declared Dodon. He also highlighted the importance of further developing bilateral economic relations, capitalizing in particular on the opportunities offered by Romania's EU membership and the economic advantages Moldova has in this sense. Ovidiu Silaghi praised Moldova for the economic reform ongoing in Moldova and expressed his confidence that “the courageous reforms for liberalizing the economy will significantly spur the Moldovan economy”. In the area of industry, the parties have agreed to identify opportunities to jointly manufacture and export finished goods, like machinery and equipment, furniture, foods, etc. The sides also agreed on the need to boost cooperation in the energy sector, in particular to build a 400kV power line between Balti and Suceava. With a feasibility study already in progress, the parties will have to determine a date for a memorandum agreement to set the project in motion. During this session, it was signed a cooperation program on research, technological development and innovation, having the Romanian Research Authority and the Moldovan Academy of Sciences as parties.