Moldova and Israel are moving to a new era in their bilateral cooperation. After a long pause in political contacts and modest economic cooperation, the two countries are reestablishing ties in various domains of mutual interest. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited Moldova on August 8 in a common effort to deepen and strengthen our ties. First of all, a good political relationship, established recently on various levels, is already an achievement for the two countries. Israel has important partners in the region of the Middle East and Moldova is very EU-oriented and the fact that the two countries decided to foster their ties means a lot for our partnership. Working together in a coordinated manner, we can build on the latest initiatives to achieve a strategic partnership.
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A historic visit of Minister Eli Cohen to Moldova. Recently the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Eli Cohen, visited the Republic of Moldova where he had intensive talks with representatives of Moldovan Government and Moldovan President Maia Sandu. Taking into account that it was the first visit of an Israeli official and a Minister of Foreign Affairs in a decade it opened a new era in bilateral relations. Minister Cohen himself called the visit a historic one, an acknowledged fact which lays a great responsibility on both sides. The visit once again underlined the meaningful potential of the bilateral relations and the important directions for their development. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, welcomed the visit and the restoration of full-fledged contacts on a political level. Minister Popescu also invited Israeli companies to invest in Moldova.
Moldova's EU accession and economic opportunities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu always says "What is good for Europe is good for Israel." Since Moldova has a very developed dialogue with the EU and soon will start accession negotiations, in this context there is a one-time opportunity for both countries to engage in dialogue which will be mutually beneficial. Israel praises the results of the Moldovan Government's efforts for EU integration. Moldova can share the best practices in the implementation of EU regulations in various fields, a process that Israel is undergoing now.
Economic cooperation and investments. Moldova and Israel have a very modest economic cooperation, this state of play is unsatisfactory for both sides. The Ministers have agreed to initiate negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement, which will give an impetus to bilateral trade. Also, there are various fields where we see a great opportunity: agriculture, water management, medicine, IT, defense and security, etc. There is a place for Israeli investments in Moldova, and the interest of business people is growing every day due to the upcoming opportunities that my country is offering.
Competitive agriculture. At the beginning of this October, Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter will visit the Republic of Moldova in order to give a start to a very important, strategic agricultural project. The idea behind this cooperation is based on the fact that Moldova has very fertile soil and Israel is producing effective agricultural equipment and technologies, combining these two we can get together very good results. The benefits of such cooperation will fold in an intensive modernization of agriculture in Moldova and an important asset in the food safety strategy of Israel. We can continue in other fields based on this positive experience. By the same logic, Moldova has to offer not only qualitative wheat for Israel but also high-quality and ecologic fruits and vegetables for very good prices.
New international agreements. The two countries have negotiated several international agreements that are on the way to be signed in the near future. These agreements should bring benefits for both peoples and countries. First of them is the mutual recognition of driving licenses and that means a facilitated procedure of exchange of these documents, this will ease the bureaucratic procedures for both sides. The next agreement to be signed is the Protocol that will allow candidates from Moldova to be hired as caregivers in Israel in a legal and organized process. Another agreement seeks a better interaction in mutual legal cooperation, which will simplify the efforts of the two Ministries of Justice in legal matters, which often occur. We also began our work on an agreement that will lower the roaming tariffs for both countries. Many more initiatives will follow in the legal field.
Military and security cooperation. In the context of the unjust war started by Russia in Ukraine, regional security issues become more and more important. Moldova shares Israel's concerns about the Iranian participation in the war and the tightening military cooperation of Russia with Iran. In this regard, there is an ongoing dialogue between the two Ministries of Defense meant to foster cooperation and coordination in the field of security and defense matters. We are expecting more high-level contacts in these spheres in the upcoming weeks.
Bilateral tourism and new flights. There is a huge potential for tourism in both directions. Based on the fact that Moldova has an enormous Jewish heritage and a vibrant Jewish Community the Ministry of Culture of Moldova has launched several touristic routes meant to attract new visitors from Israel. Already in October, an Israeli flight company will start regular flights from Tel Aviv to Chișinău, this will boost bilateral visits of the tourists and bring closer business communities.
In conclusion, these days a representative business delegation is visiting Moldova. Their first impressions, after a busy agenda of meetings, are excellent. There are many new fields of interaction that will follow up with commercial contracts and concrete deals. By a flight of two and a half hours, you can discover yourself in the heart of a European country, a society that has positive feelings towards Israel, a friendly nation that views Israel as a partner. Together we can bring this important partnership to a new level, to a strategic partnership.
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