Moldova hopes to attract more Chinese investors: PM

Moldova, a Southeastern European country famous for its wines, hopes to attract more Chinese investors, Prime Minister Vlad Filat said Monday.

Moldova, ranked top 10 of the reforming countries by the World Bank in 2010, is creating favorable conditions for investors, Filat told Xinhua on the sidelines of the Summer Davos Forum in north China' s Tianjin Municipality.

"We show openness to investors and Moldova can serve as a platform to expand businesses," Filat said.

"The free trade area Moldova is going to build with the European Union (EU) and its good trade relations with Russia will ensure an access to a market of nearly 700 million consumers," Filat said.

The prime minister, who met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Monday, said both parties had discussed issues related to cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture and telecommunications.

Filat said some Chinese companies such as Huawei and Sinohydro had invested in Moldova. "These are successful examples. We hope more Chinese companies come to Moldova."

Filat, along with his 50-member delegation, has held an economic forum in Shanghai and will hold a similar one in Beijing Tuesday in order to offer a platform for exchanges between entrepreneurs of both countries.

Filat said Moldova had set "a clear timeline" to improve its investment environment, such as accelerating the democratization process and enhancing legislative regulation.

Filat said the Chinese market had showed a great degree of interest in Moldovan wines. "We want to expand the existing interest to more trade areas."

Talking about the ongoing Summer Davos Forum, Filat said it was very important to exchange opinions and experiences as well as to develop future vision of economic cooperation.

"The global financial crisis showed that we should think together, and particularly act together," he said.

Besides, Moldova and China have also witnessed enhancing cultural exchanges, Filat said, adding that an agreement on cultural cooperation was signed last week between both countries.

The two countries also offered aid to each other as some areas of both countries had been hit by floods, which were "important gestures of showing friendship" , Filat said.

Source: Xinhua