Iurie TĂNASE, Vice President of Soroca District: Call for Stable Cooperation Mechanisms and Continuous Attraction of European Funds within the CAPDR Romania–Republic of Moldova Consultations in Iași

The Centre for Analysis and Planning of Regional Development (CAPDR), in partnership with the Regional Development Agency of Chișinău Municipality, organized on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, at the Iași Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the working meeting entitled “Consultation of the Business Environment in Defining RO–MD Development Strategies”, held within the framework of the Interreg NEXT Romania – Republic of Moldova 2021–2027 Programme.

The event was carried out with 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), bringing together representatives of the business community, experts, and officials from both states.

Structured Economic Dialogue Romania – Republic of Moldova

The meeting aimed to strengthen an applied consultation mechanism between the economic environment and public authorities from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, with the purpose of directly integrating the private sector’s contributions into the foundation of regional and interregional development strategies.

Discussions focused on key areas for economic competitiveness and regional connectivity, such as investments, construction, energy, agriculture, logistics, information technology, and the HoReCa sector. At the same time, participants analysed existing administrative obstacles and formulated proposals to simplify procedures and strengthen public–private partnerships.

Through this initiative, CAPDR aims to consolidate a permanent mechanism of dialogue between economic actors and regional planning structures, in order to increase the efficiency of the decision-making process and the relevance of development strategies.

Integrated contributions to the 2028–2034 strategic programme

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

The participation of the business environment enabled the identification of concrete directions of action, the strengthening of bilateral economic relations, and the outlining of joint initiatives with significant regional impact potential.

Deputy President of Soroca District, Iurie Tănase, on the need for a permanent mechanism for development and institutional cooperation

The Deputy President of Soroca District, Iurie Tănase, addressed in an applied manner the economic and administrative challenges faced by local authorities in the Republic of Moldova, as well as the need to strengthen regional partnerships with Romania and Ukraine.

The official emphasized that the development of local communities depends directly on the capacity of administrations to build functional cooperation mechanisms and to ensure constant access to external funding sources, especially European funds dedicated to regional development.

In his analysis, Iurie Tănase highlighted that the Republic of Moldova is still going through a period marked by structural economic constraints and institutional challenges, and that viable solutions can only be generated through consolidated partnerships and integration into efficient cross-border cooperation networks.

He particularly appreciated the role of the Centre for Analysis and Planning of Regional Development (CAPDR) and its leadership in facilitating technical and institutional dialogue between administrative and economic stakeholders, stressing that such platforms can become genuine instruments for implementing development policies:

“It must be noted that we, in the Republic of Moldova, place great hope in cooperation with Romania and Ukraine. We are facing multiple economic challenges, and cooperation with the Centre for Analysis and Planning of Regional Development gives us strong hope that we will be able to implement a permanent mechanism for attracting European funds and for solving the problems faced by our communities.”

The official insisted on the need to move beyond ad-hoc consultations and to establish a stable framework of cooperation, with clear mechanisms for implementation, monitoring, and financing of local and regional development projects.

In this regard, Iurie Tănase emphasized the importance of transforming interinstitutional dialogue into an operational instrument capable of generating concrete results in economic and administrative terms, including by increasing the capacity of local authorities to access and manage European funds.

At the same time, he noted the positive developments recorded in recent years regarding funding flows and project implementation in Soroca District and at national level, considering that these reflect a trend of strengthening bilateral cooperation and rapprochement with European development standards.

Finally, the Deputy President of Soroca District also referred to the symbolic and historical dimension of relations between the two states, highlighting the continuity of human and cultural ties:

“We have observed a steady increase in the funds flowing into Soroca District and into the Republic of Moldova as a whole, because, ultimately, blood does not become water.”

Regional cooperation perspectives

Through this meeting, CAPDR and its institutional partners strengthened a results-oriented cooperation framework, in which the economic environment is actively integrated into the strategic planning process.

The initiative contributes to shaping a shared Romania – Republic of Moldova vision regarding the development of economic infrastructure, investment stimulation, and the strengthening of regional connectivity, in line with medium- and long-term development objectives.