Mayor Alexandr PETKOV at FERM 2025: “The Municipality of Bălți positions itself as an active regional player, open to European projects and partnerships”

REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM MOLDOVA 2025

19th Edition – Vatra Dornei, July 9–13, 2025

Thematic Panel:

Strategic Investments in the Extended Region of Moldova

Speaker:

Alexandr Petkov – Mayor of Bălți Municipality, Republic of Moldova

Topic of the intervention:
“Bălți Municipality – A Strategic Partner for Sustainable Regional Development through Cross-border Cooperation and Smart Investments”

During Panel 1 of FERM 2025, the Mayor of Bălți Municipality, Alexandr Petkov, delivered a keynote speech, highlighting the importance of cross-border cooperation and attracting European funds for the sustainable development of his city.

The mayor outlined the ongoing transformations in Bălți Municipality, the commitment of the local administration to infrastructure modernization, and the need to strengthen international partnerships. Alexandr Petkov emphasized the strategic role of Bălți in northern Moldova, focusing on regional development opportunities in collaboration with cities from Romania, Poland, and other European countries.

Strong Participation and Strategic Message: “We Came with a Team and Clear Directions”

At the beginning of his address, the Mayor of Bălți Municipality, Alexandr Petkov, underlined the importance that the local administration places on participating in the Regional Economic Forum Moldova, highlighting the representative character of the attending delegation.

“Alongside me and the Deputy Mayor are the Head of the Department of Culture, the Director of the Municipal Clinical Hospital, representatives of strategic enterprises in Bălți, the associative sector, and local journalists. Tomorrow, other colleagues from the City Hall – from the Department of Investments and External Relations – will join us, along with our creative team.”

According to the mayor, this extended presence reflects the commitment of Bălți Municipality to actively engage in the regional integration process and in strengthening strategic partnerships, both cross-border and within multilateral networks of investment and development.

A Long-term Vision: Investments, European Funds, and Sustainable Partnerships

The mayor candidly addressed the complexity of the challenges facing the city, stressing that transforming urban infrastructure takes time, resources, and solid partnerships.

“We’ve only been in office for a year and a half. The infrastructure problems are numerous, and solving them cannot be done overnight, nor solely through local efforts.”

In this context, the mayor emphasized the need to adopt a proactive strategy focused on attracting European funds, integrating into cross-border projects, and expanding regional cooperation networks.

“Bălți Municipality has become an open city – both for cooperation and for implementing strategic development projects.”

This openness forms the foundation of a long-term vision aiming to integrate the city into the European regional architecture through sustainable investments, multilateral partnerships, and equitable access to external financing mechanisms.

Solid Partnerships and Strategic Cooperation: From Botoșani to Cluj and Focșani

The mayor emphasized the scale and diversity of institutional collaborations developed recently, presenting a consistent portfolio of partnerships with cities from Romania.

With the city of Botoșani, four cross-border projects were implemented in cooperation with the local administration, the County School Inspectorate, the County Directorate for Culture, and “Mihai Eminescu” National College.

In partnership with Reșița and Focșani, educational and cultural projects were carried out, along with significant donations for modernizing public urban transport and school infrastructure.

In addition to these initiatives, collaborations are underway or being prepared with cities such as Bacău, Timișoara, Cluj, and, in the immediate future, Vaslui.

Moreover, the mayor announced the launch of a trilateral cooperation platform between Moldova, Romania, and Poland – a framework aimed at supporting urban reform and modernization processes in Bălți through shared expertise and strategic joint initiatives.

A New Regional Paradigm: Multilateral Cooperation for Funding Access and Sustainable Development

The key message conveyed by Mayor Alexandr Petkov was clear: it is time to shift approaches to regional development. In today’s context, bilateral cooperation is no longer sufficient — what’s needed is a structured multilateral cooperation with tangible, lasting impact.

“Cities can no longer build development on their own. The future is no longer written only in capitals, but in regions – where local governments, businesses, and communities collaborate to generate progress.”

In this sense, the Mayor of Bălți advocated for:

• Equitable and direct access to European funds for non-EU cities, particularly in the Republic of Moldova;
• Creation of international consortia between cities and regions to develop joint initiatives;
• Implementation of innovation programs, sustainable urban infrastructure, dual education, and energy efficiency within well-structured transnational partnerships.

Through this vision, Bălți Municipality is taking a proactive role in building a regional development and modernization network based on complementarity, solidarity, and shared long-term goals.

Strategic Opening to East and West: Bălți – A Hub of Regional Connectivity

Located at the crossroads of major mobility corridors, Bălți Municipality enjoys a remarkable geostrategic advantage, being near the borders with Romania and Ukraine. This positioning transforms the city into a potential regional hub for transport, trade, and cooperation.

Mayor Alexandr Petkov emphasized this vision of extended connectivity:

“Bălți wants and is able to become a true bridge between Eastern and Western Europe. We propose a new paradigm, where our city plays a leadership role in the architecture of European regional cooperation.”

This dual openness, to both East and West, supported by concrete projects and international partnerships, strengthens Bălți Municipality’s role as a platform of convergence for development initiatives, investment, and regional integration.

Conclusion:

In closing, the Mayor of Bălți Municipality, Alexandr Petkov, emphasized the importance of a clear transition from dialogue to implementation. His final message was pragmatic, focused on tangible results and sustainable partnerships.

Emphasis was placed on the need to clearly define the next steps in regional development: launching joint projects, forming functional consortia between authorities and international partners, coordinated access to European funds, and building a regional cooperation network based on innovation and efficiency.

This approach underscores the determination of Bălți’s administration to transform its forum participation into a real catalyst for development, starting from the essential question: “What comes next, concretely, starting now?”