OREANDA-NEWS. August 27, 2012. Deputy Prime Minister, Economics Minister Valeriu Lazar today had a meeting with the head of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Eckhard Cordes, in the context of a visit to Moldova by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The official was accompanied by a group of German investors who are doing business in Moldova and are interested to invest in the country, the Economics Ministry's information and media communication service has said.

The economics minister reviewed the most important advantages of Moldova for investors from abroad, stressing that Moldova offers a wide range of opportunities for these investors. In this context, Valeriu Lazar referred to the free trade regime with the EU, which is very advantageous for Moldova, as well as to the free trade agreements with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.

The participants in the meeting also discussed restrictions faced by the German investors, and identified solutions to remove them. Among the latter, the business people pointed out a large number of control procedures, the need of quick and trustworthy customs procedures, necessity to improve the infrastructure, ensure a proper level of specialists' education. Deputy Prime Minister Valeriu Lazar specified that the Moldovan government has a clear-cut vision of development, and undertakes maximal efforts to remove these restrictions to foreign investors in the farming sector.

Another obstacle, identified by the German investors, to the attraction of foreign investments in Moldova, especially in agriculture, is also impossibility to buy lands in Moldova. In this respect, Valeriu Lazar stressed that this is a delicate problem. He also said that the government presently analyzes good international practices in the concerned field, in order to find adequate solutions to the attraction of foreign investors.

The economics minister also informed about the importance of the German investors' involvement in public-private partnerships. Thus, Lazar highlighted the public infrastructure sectors and projects of national interest, proposed for development for the public-private partnership (PPP). At present, the Moldovan government has proposals of PPP projects in diverse areas, such as the granting of the Chisinau International Airport, modernizing the International Airport from Balti, Moldova's second largest settlement. As for the health sector, it is about a service of diagnosis and laboratory, service of medical imagistics and radiology, hemodialysis, rehabilitation services, and in the sports and leisure areas - designing and construction of the Republican Stadium, etc. "A serious approach by the government of this opportunity is confirmed also by the creation of the National Council for Public-Private Partnership, which represents a platform of dialogue and cooperation between the private and governmental sectors," Valeriu Lazar said.

At the end of the meeting, the sides agreed to maintain a constant dialogue and promote the Moldovan-German relations for the benefit of citizens of Moldova and Germany. The economics minister repeatedly encouraged the representatives of the German business environment to invest in Moldova, reiterating the openness and willingness to cooperate and support.

In the first half of 2012, the overall trade exchanges between Moldova and Germany amounted to 222.45 million dollars. In January-June 2012, Moldova exported goods worth 33.45 million dollars to Germany. On the same period, Moldova imported German goods worth 189 million dollars, that is by 5.5 per cent more against January-June 2011.

Presently, 167 enterprises with German capital work in Moldova, and the sum of investments is 66 million euros. This figure accounts for 7.3 per cent of all the foreign investments in Moldova. Among the biggest companies with German capital, there are "Sudzucker Moldova," "Mabanaft-Moldova," "Knauf," "Metro," "Steilmann," "Draxlmaier," Leoni, ProCredit Bank, etc. During 20 years of cooperation, Germany has implemented technical (non-refundable) assistance projects amounting to 40 million euros in Moldova.