Deputy Prefect of Iași County, Florin Bucșă, at the meeting of CAPDR on consulting the business environment Romania – Republic of Moldova: “Bilateral cooperation requires concrete projects and institutional dialogue”

The Center for Analysis and Regional Development Planning (CAPDR), in partnership with the Regional Development Agency of Chișinău Municipality, organized on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the Iași Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the joint event titled:

“Consulting the Business Environment in Defining RO–MD Development Strategies,” held within the Interreg NEXT Romania – Republic of Moldova 2021–2027 project

The event benefited from the support of the Commercial and Economic Promotion Office of the Embassy of Romania in the Republic of Moldova, the Iași Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Association of Romanian Investors in the Republic of Moldova (AIR).

The working meeting aimed at strengthening structured dialogue between the economic environment and public authorities from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, by integrating private sector contributions into the process of developing regional and interregional development strategies.

During the consultations, key areas essential for economic competitiveness and regional connectivity were addressed: investments, construction, energy, agriculture, logistics, IT, and HoReCa, as well as the identification of administrative barriers and the formulation of concrete solutions for strengthening public–private partnerships.

Through this meeting, CAPDR and its institutional partners aimed to strengthen an applied consultation mechanism capable of directly connecting relevant economic actors with regional planning structures from Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

The dialogue conducted within the consultations contributed to the formulation of concrete and applicable proposals, based on the experience and real needs of the private sector, as well as to the identification of common directions for economic cooperation and interregional development.

The participation of the business environment directly contributed to:

• the formulation of concrete proposals for development strategies;
• the strengthening of Romania – Republic of Moldova economic connections;
• the development of joint initiatives and projects with interregional impact.

The conclusions of the meeting will be integrated by CAPDR into the proposals of the Sustainable Interconnection Program Romania – Republic of Moldova 2028–2034 (PISRM 2028–2034), a strategic document currently under interregional consultation and substantiation.

Florin BUCȘĂ, Deputy Prefect of Iași County, message focused on the need to strengthen institutional and economic cooperation between the two states

Within the consultations dedicated to defining regional development directions for Romania – Republic of Moldova, the Institution of the Prefect of Iași County was represented by Florin Bucșă, Deputy Prefect of Iași County, who delivered a message focused on the need to strengthen institutional and economic cooperation between the two states, as well as on the importance of transforming regional strategies into concrete projects with direct applicability in the territory.

His intervention highlighted the role of dialogue between administration and the economic environment in substantiating regional policies and in developing effective mechanisms for cross-border cooperation.

In his intervention, the representative of the Prefect’s Institution emphasized that regional development and the strengthening of relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova cannot be supported exclusively through administrative measures or governmental implementation, but require the constant involvement of the private sector and the development of real cooperation mechanisms.

“Today we are participating in an event, more precisely a meeting, where we are listening to opinions and strategies that we can later apply, because the Prefecture understands that, alongside governmental implementation measures, we also need cooperation with the Republic of Moldova,” stated Florin Bucșă.

The message delivered by the Deputy Prefect of Iași County emphasized the need for an integrated approach to regional development, in which public administration, the business environment, and institutional partners jointly participate in defining economic and investment priorities. At the same time, his intervention reflected the idea that institutional dialogue must be oriented toward identifying applicable solutions and developing functional partnerships among actors involved in Romania – Republic of Moldova cooperation.

Another central element of his intervention concerned the difference between strategy formulation and the effective implementation of regional development projects.

“We are present here, we are listening to everyone’s opinions in the room, and most importantly, I believe that all the projects discussed over time should actually exist physically. I think this is exactly what such meetings help with, so that they do not remain only on paper and, eventually, become part of a future strategy,” stated Florin Bucșă.

Through this statement, the representative of the Prefect’s Institution of Iași County highlighted the need to transform strategies and policy documents into concrete investments and implemented projects in the territory. His message emphasized the importance of administrative continuity and the assumption of common regional development objectives capable of generating visible and sustainable results for both Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

The intervention of Deputy Prefect Florin Bucșă highlighted the importance of strengthening economic and institutional relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova through concrete projects capable of generating sustainable regional development and investments with direct impact on communities on both banks of the Prut River. The official emphasized the need for permanent cooperation between authorities, the business environment, and regional development structures, in order to build efficient mechanisms of collaboration and interconnection.

Iași, a strategic hub for economic connectivity between Romania and the Republic of Moldova

During his intervention, the strategic role of Iași County as a regional hub for economic and administrative connectivity between Romania and the Republic of Moldova was also emphasized, particularly in the context of new opportunities generated by European cross-border cooperation programs. At the same time, it was highlighted that the development of infrastructure, logistics, and joint investments represents essential elements for increasing regional competitiveness and stimulating sustainable economic partnerships.

The business environment, an active participant in defining regional strategies

The discussions held during the consultations highlighted the need for the active involvement of the business environment in the process of developing regional development strategies, with participants emphasizing that the direct experience of the private sector can significantly contribute to identifying applicable solutions adapted to local economic realities. Representatives of companies and participating organizations stressed the importance of reducing administrative barriers and developing concrete instruments for cross-border economic cooperation.

The conclusions of the consultations will contribute to the substantiation of PISRM 2028–2034

The event organized by CAPDR and institutional partners reconfirmed the shared interest in developing a stable framework for dialogue between authorities and the economic environment from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, with an emphasis on investments, regional connectivity, and sustainable development. The conclusions resulting from the consultations will contribute to the substantiation of the Sustainable Interconnection Program Romania – Republic of Moldova 2028–2034, a strategic document currently under interregional consultation.