National Union of Romanian Employers opens branch in Moldova: We building bridges between business communities

The National Union of Romanian Employers (UNPR) has opened a branch in the Republic of Moldova, during an event organized in Chișinău. The new entity aims to become a bridge between the business environment in Romania and Moldova, particularly in the context of our country’s progressing European integration process.

UNPR President Ioan Lucian said today that the actions to be carried out are intended to support the business community and to create new partnerships between entrepreneurs.

“We are here to try to build bridges between the business communities during the pre-accession period and then, we hope, as soon as possible, during accession itself,” said the UNPR President.

Ioan Lucian noted that Romania is ready to share with the Republic of Moldova the experience it has gained in joining the European Union, so that our neighboring country can advance rapidly.

“We came to Chișinău with an important delegation. Together with leading companies from Romania, we will share the experiences that we have accumulated, both during Romania’s pre-accession period to the European Union and afterward, and we will try to explain what was done well and what should perhaps not be done, or not happen as it did in Romania, where important stages were lost,” said Ioan Lucian.

He added that the UNPR branch in Chișinău will serve as a point of reference and will pave the way for new collaborations.

“Our branch will be a point of reference for those who come to invest here. Our message to the business community in the Republic of Moldova and to other organizations is to open the doors to collaboration. We want to be contacted. The Republic of Moldova is not only a sister country for us; it is a region of interest, and we have come to present our network portfolio,” concluded Ioan Lucian.

UNPR Director General Sebastian Hedea stated that UNPR’s presence in Chișinău is meant to support the business environment in the Republic of Moldova.

“That spark, that dream from 2024, has become reality. We came to Chișinău to support the business community in the Republic of Moldova, to become a bridge between the business community in Romania and the business community in Moldova. We hope to meet again in the near future with new projects,” said Sebastian Hedea.

Ovidiu Dranga, UNPR High Representative for International Relations said that the visit of the UNPR delegation to Chișinău marks the beginning of a process of bringing closer the Romanian and Moldovan business communities, with the objective of creating a multitude of ecosystems that will include not only companies from both countries, but also universities and, of course, local authorities, “without which the success of ambitious economic projects would be inconceivable.”

“I would like to dwell on the significance of our visit from a broader perspective, placing it within a set of initiatives that entities from Romania are carrying out in support of the irreversible path of the Republic of Moldova toward the European Union. In fact, I believe that this visit could easily be described as an effort to support the European course of the Republic of Moldova which, in my view, must be accelerated in a convincing manner, so that the integration of the Republic of Moldova into the EU will happen sooner than we all expect,” said Ovidiu Dranga.

The official emphasized that the rapprochement between the Romanian economy and that of the Republic of Moldova is becoming increasingly substantial and highlighted the need for systematic interaction between the business communities of the two countries.

“The two economies are very close; the links between them are becoming more and more substantial, and we hope that this will eventually lead to the merging of the two economies, because there are many similarities and many common points. Of course, a merging in a European context. All the conditions exist for this visit to open new opportunities in various sectors, including energy, technology, construction, and transport. I believe that systematic interaction between the business community in Romania and the business community in the Republic of Moldova is necessary, based on clear priorities,” said Ovidiu Dranga.

Lawyer Eduard Digore stated at the event that the UNPR branch in Chișinău will create an ecosystem of communication between entrepreneurs and authorities, will provide a platform for exchanges of expertise and best practices, and will also offer the possibility of forming partnerships and joint businesses with entrepreneurs from the Republic of Moldova.

“UNPR is a long-standing entity in Romania that excellently represents the interests of Romanian entrepreneurs. That is precisely why we encouraged the opening of an entity in the Republic of Moldova, so that we could create a platform enabling entrepreneurs from Romania to cross the Prut River into the Republic of Moldova, study the market, stay informed, and be able to invest in a real way in the national economy of the Republic of Moldova. This platform can also be used in the opposite direction: entrepreneurs from the Republic of Moldova will be able to turn to UNPR in order to receive assistance within the Romanian jurisdiction,” emphasized Eduard Digore.

Daniel Moraru, President of UNPR for the South-East region, stressed the special bond that exists between the business communities in Romania and the Republic of Moldova and expressed hope that the experience accumulated over the years will be transformed into an important resource for implementing joint projects for the benefit of both sides.

The program of the UNPR delegation’s visit to Chișinău includes important meetings, including at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, the Moldova State University, the Embassy of Romania in the Republic of Moldova, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, and the State Chancellery.

The National Union of Romanian Employers (UNPR) is a national-level employers’ confederation, founded in 1991, which includes all types of employers’ organizations, national or professional associations, as well as private commercial companies.