First day of MACRO Conference 2022: Moldova's development priorities on the agenda of the country's leadership and international experts

Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova: “Moldova will succeed in the coming years if it has effective and correct policies that target the citizen and the concerns, aspirations of the citizen. The development of human capital must be the focus of all our policies, because that is the only way we will be able to have a competitive economy and resilience in all respects, in the context of the global changes we face. Obviously, all these things can only be done with an efficient state, and here we have a lot of work through effective interventions. "

During the MACRO Conference, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Natalia Gavrilița, reiterated the development priorities of the country, but also the need to finalize the main strategic planning document of the Republic of Moldova: the National Development Strategy "Moldova 2030"

Natalia Gavrilița, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova: "The review of the Moldova 2030 National Development Strategy, around which the talks will take place at this conference, is a human-oriented one and one that organizes state policy planning from the perspective of ensuring a comfortably living co, full of opportunities and open to everyone. The government is not the only agent of change in society. We want this process to coagulate all the creative and innovative resources in society, in the idea that the final version of the new Strategy, which we want adopted by the end of the parliamentary session, to reflect a broad consensus, with the involvement of civil society, the environment academia and the business community in defining the country project we are shaping for the horizon of the end of this decade.”

Moldova's efforts to address the many challenges of recent years are also supported by the European Union. European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi stated that € 600 million will be mobilized over the next three years to improve public finances, support a stronger economy based on innovation and competitiveness, and strengthen more diverse infrastructure, to stimulate the development of human capital and to support the rule of law, justice and the fight against corruption.

Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement: “The aim of our support is to bring tangible benefits to the Moldovan people. First of all, since the beginning of the pandemic, 2 years ago, we have used all available tools to reduce the impact of the health crisis - from emergency medical care to vaccine delivery; secondly, when the energy crisis hit, we quickly created a support package for vulnerable groups and to ensure Moldova's long-term energy security; Thirdly, last year we announced an economic and recovery plan for the Republic of Moldova. ”

MACRO Conference is an annual event and is a high-level intellectual platform, where participants discuss global factors and trends that can influence how Moldova can be transformed into an attractive investment destination and a hub for new ideas and advanced technologies. The conference is organized in partnership by the Government of the Republic of Moldova, the Independent Think Tank "Expert-Grup" and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung with the support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in the Republic of Moldova

Adrian Lupușor, Executive Director of Expert-Grup: “The Republic of Moldova is facing an unprecedented overlap of external shocks, against the background of the pandemic crisis, the energy crisis, global inflation and, more recently, the border security crisis. These external challenges also exacerbate internal ones, perpetuated in recent years and even decades: demographic aging and emigration, eroding the potential for growth, weakening public institutions and the ability to promote reforms or endemic corruption. In this regard, we welcome the Government's intention to formulate a vision for the country's development to address internal vulnerabilities and increase the country's resilience to external shocks, and we are pleased that MACRO 2022, being in its 10th edition, has become a viable platform to discuss such country strategies. "

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung promotes participatory democracy through its activities and supports the Republic of Moldova through expertise, advice and content in the development and implementation of policies for a sustainable, socially balanced market economy that meets all the needs of citizens and is involved in conceptualization and organization of the first edition Conference.

Marcel Röthig, representative of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova: “This year, the initiative to organize the conference, including the idea of the central topic for discussions, came from the Government itself. For us, this is a recognition that MACRO has become an important platform for discussion and debate in identifying innovative opportunities and ideas for the sustainable development of the country. This is also a manifestation of the political will that the country needs so much to be able to move forward on the path of progress and modernization. The central theme of the conference being the National Development Strategy "Moldova 2030" is a clear proof of the intention and commitment of the Government of the Republic of Moldova for the transformation of the country and ensuring the well-being of the people. "

The completion of the main strategic development document of the country, the “Moldova 2030” Strategy, is also supported by the Agency for International Cooperation of Germany (GIZ) in the Republic of Moldova. In order to increase the economic results of the Republic of Moldova, the Agency provides support in improving the investment climate for local and international investors, as well as advising the Government in implementing reforms.

Franziska Tadé, project manager "Support for the Government of the Republic of Moldova in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda", German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ): "Moldova 2030" is a national strategy for consistent and visionary development that will guide the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in The approval of this strategy will allow the alignment of sectoral strategies and budget allocations to a general framework document, in line with the 2030 Agenda. Starting with 2020, the German Government through the GIZ project "Support for the Government of the Republic of Moldova in implementing the 2030 Agenda" provides technical consultancy and capacity building services to advance the translation of ambitious global sustainable development (SDG) goals in national documents d and politicians. ”

The second day of the event has been postponed. We keep you updated on the conference rescheduling, follow the MACRO Conference Facebook page and the expert-grup.org website for updates.

The photo gallery of the event available below.