Moldova’s investment promotion agency Invest Moldova has launched the Export Mission programme under which 30 local companies will be helped to access the markets of EU countries. 

The programme, part of the Competitiveness Improvement Project, funded by the World Bank, will help participants identify relevant business partners in the target markets and organise individual bilateral sessions during missions to Romania, Germany and the Baltic States. 

“According to the National Bureau of Statistics, exports in the previous year decreased by 11.5%. Despite the considerable decrease in the volume of exported goods, the Investment Agency, through its instruments and programmes in support of exports, managed only from the exhibition activity to generate an export value in the amount of €33.52mn,” said Rodica Verbeniuc, general manager of the investment agency. 

“Motivated by these results, the new programme launched [on February 2] aims to increase the skills of exporters and competitiveness in European markets. This means that we need to become more pro-active, better prepared, to adjust to new realities, both by reconceptualising marketing and promotion strategies and by increasing the ability to connect to e-commerce and use online platforms.”

The business missions will be organised in three sectors: fresh and processed fruits; electronics, machines, equipment and machinery; and furniture manufacturing.