The Governor of the National Bank of Moldova (NBM), Ms Anca Dragu, held a meeting with Ms Maria Luís Albuquerque, European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union. The meeting took place in Brussels in the context of a delegation from Chișinău participating in the European Union’s (EU) Annual Economic and Financial Dialogue with regional partners (EU accession candidate countries), organised by the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council.

The discussions focused on the prospects for cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and European institutions in the fields of financial services, the stability of the banking and non-banking sectors, and integration into the EU financial market. Topics addressed included the recognition of the equivalence of the Republic of Moldova’s prudential banking framework with that of the EU, in line with the methodology of the European Banking Authority (EBA), as well as the economic impact of operational connection to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA).

“At the National Bank of Moldova, innovation has become a central pillar in how we strengthen resilience and trust. In recent years, we have made decisive progress in modernising our payments infrastructure and embracing digital transformation, guided by a clear objective: to build an inclusive, interoperable financial system aligned with European standards,” stated Governor Anca Dragu.

Officials also reviewed the implementation status of the Reform Agenda associated with Moldova’s Growth Plan, supported by the European Union, a plan aimed at fostering the country’s economic development through investment stimulation and accelerated reforms.

Furthermore, developments in aligning the national regulatory and supervisory framework in the financial sector with EU legislation were also discussed.

The EU’s Annual Economic and Financial Dialogue with regional partners is a high-level meeting organised by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) in Brussels. Its primary purpose is to guide candidate and potential candidate countries in preparing for EU accession. The dialogue covers topics of common interest in economic and financial matters and provides specific recommendations to ensure a smooth transition to a functional market economy. This dialogue is a key element of EU enlargement policy, translating economic requirements into concrete reforms.