First edition of Railway Forum from Moldova held in Chisinau

Chisinau, 15 March /MOLDPRES/ - The first edition of the Railway Forum of Moldova, regarded as an important step in the sector’s modernization, took place in Chisinau today.   

The Railway Forum was opened by the European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean, who welcomed this initiative. She stressed that the de facto integration of Moldova into the European Union had started through infrastructure. ‘’From the beginning of my mandate as Romanian politician and European commissioner, I have been a great supporter and I would to believe, a true friend of Moldova. I know, on the one hand, that there is huge need for infrastructure in Moldova and, on the other hand, what huge efforts the Moldovan authorities are taking to attract more in order to carry out projects, to bring Moldova to the 21st century in terms of infrastructure  as well,’’ Adina Valean said.     

For his part, Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister Andrei Spinu reaffirmed Moldova’s commitment in the modernization of the railways – essential not only for the country’s economic development, but also for the entire region.  

„The today’s forum is an important moment for the future of the railways from Moldova. The modernization of the railway sector is no longer a priority, but rather an emergency. At the same time, we must say clearly. Without the European Union, without our partners, this will not be possible to do. Today, I signed a memorandum of understanding for the continuation of the cooperation between Moldova and France in the railway sector – an essential step in the process of modernization of the railway network. I am grateful to the French Development Agency and the French government for every support from which we have benefited in the last years,’’ Spinu said.   

Attending the event, Ambassador of France to Moldova Graham Paul said that ‘’the last week visit to France by President Maia Sandu and her meeting with the French president consolidated even more the bilateral relations between the two countries. The signing of the memorandum of understanding highlights our common wish to develop the cooperation in the railway sector.’’   

The first issue of the Railway Forum, organized with the support of the French Development Agency, is a key element in the transports field. It brought together governmental representatives, national and international experts, industry leaders, in order to discuss the challenges, as well as the opportunities of modernization of the railway infrastructure. The participants in the event made a detailed radiography of the railway sector, which emphasized, once again, the need to increase the investments in infrastructure, in a geopolitical and economic context in continuous evolution.