"With a clear vision and concrete measures, the Republic of Moldova is shaping a prosperous and solid future within the European community", declared the Governor of the National Bank of Moldova (NBM), Anca Dragu, during the opening speech of the "Movers & Shakers - Today's models of tomorrow's generation” Conference, held on 16 September 2024, in Romania.

Anca Dragu emphasized the importance of the current moment in Moldova's European path, describing it as crucial for the country's future. According to the NBM Governor of the NBM, joining the European Union is not only a project of peace and prosperity, but also a guarantor of democracy and respect for citizens' rights.

"With a firm orientation towards European values, the Republic of Moldova confirms that membership of the European Union is essential for sustainable economic development and for the consolidation of a solid democracy", added the NBM Governor.

In her speech, Anca Dragu highlighted the crucial role that the National Bank of Moldova plays in the European integration process, especially through its contributions in the field of monetary policy and financial sector supervision. "Monetary policy and the financial sector are key areas for ensuring the compliance of the Republic of Moldova with two of the three major economic criteria for joining the European Union", explained Anca Dragu.

At the same time, the head of the central bank pointed out the importance of the liberalization of capital operations, which implies free and unrestricted financial flows between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union. "Achieving this fundamental criterion of the economic union requires the existence of a solid and efficient financial market, which includes a well-developed capital market, a competitive banking sector and a functional insurance industry," said the NBM Governor.

The Governor emphasized that legislative amendments are necessary, and they need to be complemented by investments in financial infrastructure and by the development of functional market components, a process that may be challenging, as demonstrated by the experience of the European Union member states.

The ideas presented by Anca Dragu during the conference are developed in detail in an editorial signed with the title "The road to European integration: Perspectives and challenges for the Republic of Moldova", published in the "Movers & Shakers" yearbook. This publication is dedicated to models of excellence in socio-economic and security fields.

The yearbook also includes a profile of Anca Dragu's impressive career in the economic, financial and banking, and public fields, being the first woman to hold the position of Governor of the National Bank of Moldova.

The "Movers & Shakers - Today's models of tomorrow's generation" Conference was organized by the Department for Sustainable Development, the National Institute of Statistics and the MediaUno Association.