Turkey is one of the main investors in Moldova. It ranks tenth by the volume of investments in the registered capital, with US$20.5 million (11% of the total registered capital invested from abroad), and third by the number of companies in which it invested. In Moldova there are 977 companies with Turkish capital, according to the Economic and International Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Economy. Turkey is the key investor in southern Moldova, where it accounts for 44% of the investments made in this region, IPN reports.
Turkey is also one of the major commercial partners of Moldova, after the CIS and the EU. In January – June, trade between the two countries was US$211.5 million. Exports in the period came to US$63.4 million, a decrease of 26.9% compared with the corresponding period last year. Imports fell by 21.7% to US$148.1 million.
Among the main exports in the period were the sunflower seeds, demijohns, bottles, jars and other containers for transportation or packing. The major imports included the tomatoes (6.68% of the total imports from Turkey), clothing parts and accessories.
Moldova and Turkey so far have signed two economic accords: the agreement on reciprocal promotion and protection of investments and the agreement for commercial and economic cooperation between the two states. They both were signed in Ankara on February 14, 1994. Today, September 11, Minister of Economy 11 Andrian Candu and his Turkish counterpart Nihat Zeybekci will sign in Chisinau a Free Trade Agreement between the two sides.