Uncategorized
President of CAPDR, Ion ȘTEFANOVICI, at the conclusion of the Energy Panel of FERM 2025: “Energy is not just infrastructure, but also security and solidarity”
REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM MOLDOVA 2025
19th Edition – Vatra Dornei, July 9–13, 2025
Thematic Panel:
Energy and the Transition Towards a Sustainable Energy System
Speaker:
Ion Ștefanovici – President CAPDR
Topic of Intervention:
“Lessons from Energy Crises and Regional Cooperation for a Sustainable Future of the Moldova Region”
The Regional Economic Forum Moldova has once again established itself this year as a benchmark for dialogue and strategy for the development of the Moldova Region.
Organized in a complex international framework, the event brought together policymakers, investors, experts, opinion leaders, and public administration representatives from Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, the European Union, as well as from states with strategic interest in the region.
Panel 5 – “Energy and the Transition Towards a Sustainable Energy System” – provided a platform for analysis and collaboration on one of the key themes for the region’s future: ensuring energy security and adapting to the green transition.
The overall objective focused on exploring investment and cooperation opportunities in the energy sector, with emphasis on renewable sources, energy efficiency, and regional integration.
In closing the panel, significant interventions were made by Andrei Grițco, Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Moldova, Daniel Pencea, Chief Financial Officer – Budgets within the Ministry of Energy of Romania, and Ion Ștefanovici, President of CAPDR.
Andrei Grițco: “Romania, the brothers we learn from!”
Andrei Grițco highlighted the growing closeness between Romania and the Republic of Moldova in the energy sector, defining the relationship through learning and mutual support:
“We learn from our partners in Romania, from our brothers, we take what they have done well and implement it here. What didn’t work, we try not to repeat,” the official stated.
He added that the European path of the Republic of Moldova is closely tied to this common effort:
“Even right now, my colleagues from the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Moldova are in Brussels, at the bilateral screening. They are telling me now that the screening is successful, and this is yet another step toward the Republic of Moldova becoming a member of the great European community,” Grițco noted.
Daniel Pencea: “Romania opens access to European experience”
In his intervention, Daniel Pencea emphasized Romania’s participation in large-scale European projects on energy efficiency, with direct applicability for the Republic of Moldova:
“The Ministry of Energy is part of five major European projects discussing consumption efficiency, modernization of district heating systems, and nZEB standards – nearly zero-energy buildings,” Pencea pointed out.
The Romanian official invited the delegation of the Republic of Moldova to collaborate closely with the expert teams from Romania:
“We are part of the European Coalition for Energy Efficiency and we can share our experience with you. You can always find us at the Ministry of Energy; we are at your disposal with great pleasure,” he stressed.
Ion Ștefanovici: Lessons from crises, reflections on the present
CAPDR President, Ion Ștefanovici, delivered a more personal but extremely powerful intervention, bringing into discussion the lessons experienced during times of crisis. He recalled the period of energy rationing in the Republic of Moldova, immediately after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine:
“In Romania, if the power goes out for a few hours, it’s a drama. The air conditioning stops, food spoils, phones run out of battery. But three years ago, in Chișinău, when the power went out, I couldn’t pay with a card, ATMs weren’t working, the hotel had no electricity, no internet, no way to communicate. Worse than everything was the overwhelming feeling of panic, like being in a state of war.”
President Ion Ștefanovici also shared experiences from Ukraine, in Bugeac, where he witnessed firsthand the direct impact of the war on the population and infrastructure:
“I saw women and children, I saw outdated infrastructure, major energy problems. When I returned to Romania, I realized how lucky we are, but also how unaware at times. Reality, however, will wake us up quickly, like a cold shower in the morning.”
His message continued with a call for regional responsibility.
“Electricity flows along the Botoșani–Bălți corridor. Water comes from Iași, from ApaVital. Do you think the people of Botoșani, the communities directly connected to these infrastructures, shouldn’t be involved? They must fully understand these realities,” he emphasized.
At the same time, Ion Ștefanovici insisted on the importance of direct, technical relations between institutions and experts, beyond traditional diplomatic channels:
“I’ve learned over these years that we need to cut down bureaucracy, to have a direct line of technical cooperation. And year after year, we make concrete steps forward.”
Conclusion: cooperation, lessons, and solidarity
Panel 5 highlighted not only the technical dimension of the energy transition but also its human and strategic aspects. The statements of the three speakers emphasized three complementary directions:
- the strong partnership between Romania and the Republic of Moldova;
- access to European expertise and projects, and
- the need to internalize the harsh lessons from times of crisis.
In a region at the frontier of war, energy is no longer just an infrastructure issue but one of security, solidarity, and shared responsibility. Close cooperation, exchange of experience, and involvement of local communities are the essential steps for the Moldova Region to build a sustainable and secure energy future.
