Meeting of Experts on Economic and Statistical Issues Held in Bender

On 16 December 2025, a joint meeting of the working groups on economy, with the participation of experts on statistical issues from both banks of the Nistru River, was held at the OSCE Mission to Moldova’s office in Bender.

The Chișinău delegation was headed by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, Ms. Cristina Ceban.

During the meeting, current issues in the areas of trade, economy, statistics, customs, and fiscal matters were discussed.

Experts from Chișinău presented the results of the dialogue conducted within the framework of the most recent Republic of Moldova–European Union (EU) Association Committee meeting in the “Trade” configuration and reiterated the Republic of Moldova’s commitment to the uniform application of EU standards assumed and harmonized with national legislation (internal market functioning, tariff quotas, trade rules, agricultural notifications, product promotion, etc.), with their implementation throughout the entire territory of the country.

It was emphasized that the transposition of European legislation is not merely a technical requirement, but an essential stage in adapting national mechanisms to EU standards, facilitating access to the EU single market. In this context, approaches and actions in this regard must be uniform on both banks of the Nistru River.

At the same time, the experts addressed methodological and practical aspects in the field of statistics, including the coordination of data collection, processing, analysis and dissemination processes, in order to ensure the compatibility of statistical indicators with international standards. The role of the self-assessment exercise of the compliance of national legislation with EU regulations was highlighted, which allows identifying the level of harmonization and establishing priority actions for advancing the European path of the Republic of Moldova.

With regard to the alleged difficulties faced by certain economic operators in the region in the course of their commercial and economic activities, experts from Chișinău explained that the provisions of the current regulatory framework are implemented uniformly and in a non-discriminatory manner throughout the entire territory of the country.

The meeting confirmed the importance of maintaining technical dialogue in order to clarify relevant aspects.