Bulgaria will open a branch of the "Angel Kanchev" University of Ruse in Taraclia and investment agencies will cooperate more closely under the agreement signed today at the 9th meeting of the Moldovan-Bulgarian Joint Intergovernmental Commission held in Chisinau. The Commission is co-chaired by Energy Minister Victor Parlicov and Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Irina Shtonova.

Bulgaria and Moldova reaffirmed their interest in strengthening bilateral relations, including in the field of energy, with a focus on natural gas, oil products and electricity. The two sides exchanged information on priorities in the energy sector and discussed ways to stimulate cooperation between public institutions and companies in various sectors.

Although the bilateral trade regime is part of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), Bulgaria ranked 11th among Moldova's main trading partners in the world, with a share of 1.8% of total trade volume. The value of Moldova's foreign trade with Bulgaria amounted to 233 million dollars in 2023. There are 176 enterprises with Bulgarian capital operating in the Republic of Moldova, with investments totaling 118.5 million lei.

Mr. Victor Parlicov welcomed the recent intensification of the Moldovan-Bulgarian bilateral relations, as evidenced by the busy and diverse agenda of the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, which resumed its work after an eight-year break.

Bearing in mind the implementation of the objectives of the European Green Pact and the effective integration of the energy market of the Republic of Moldova with the EU market, both sides agreed to examine opportunities for cooperation in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, development of electricity grids, their modernization and digitalization. Cooperation between the Agency for Sustainable Energy Development (Bulgaria) and the National Center for Sustainable Energy of the Republic of Moldova (CNED) was also discussed.