OREANDA-NEWS. July 06, 2012. Moldova's preferential trade regimes with the EU members states and with the CIS may turn into a linking bridge between the Romanian capital and the Eastern markets, Moldovan Deputy Premier, Economics Minister Valeriu Lazar has said during a working visit he paid to Romania last week, the ministry's media liaison service has reported.

Meeting the leadership of Prahova County and Ploiesti Municipality, Lazar said that the bilateral economic relations have been on the rise, with the trade turnover reaching almost 1 billion dollars. Nonetheless, he noted that the two sides have not yet made the best of their economic potential.

Visiting Prahova-based industrial parks dealing mainly with the production of goods and logistics, Lazar noted that Romania's experience is useful for Moldova now that it needs to balance the structure of its national economy via its industrialization. "We followed Romania's example, taking over its experience when drafting the law on industrial parks. Now we have to fill it with content, by attracting investors. Romania's experience in implementing the acquis communautaire may help us spare much time. Therefore, our relations with Romania go beyond the bilateral framework and are of strategic importance for Moldova's European path," Lazar said.

The Moldovan delegation also participated in a bilateral business forum, attended by 45 Romanian companies, during which they were informed about Moldova's investment climate and opportunities opened by its industrial parks and free trade areas.

"Moldova and Romania should enter no competition for foreign investments; we should build a relationship of synergy and complementarity. Over the past years, Romania was the main channel through which foreign companies opened subsidiaries in Moldova," Lazar said at the forum.