The National Bank of Moldova (NBM) hosted a high-level meeting today with an official delegation from the Republic of Slovenia, led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon. The discussions took place in a favourable context for strengthening bilateral cooperation and aligning the Republic of Moldova with European Union standards, particularly following the country's recent acceptance into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA).

NBM Governor Anca Dragu highlighted the importance of this visit for Moldova's European path, emphasising the need for institutional exchanges to accelerate this process.

"Slovenia is a successful example of reform and European integration. The experiences and lessons shared by our Slovenian partners are valuable to the National Bank. Joining SEPA is a concrete step towards closer integration with the European single market, and institutional dialogue and the exchange of best practices help us apply European standards in an efficient and sustainable manner, for the benefit of citizens and the business environment," stated Ms. Anca Dragu.

Slovenia, a member state of the EU and the Eurozone, which has successfully completed the transition and harmonisation with European standards, offers Moldova a valuable perspective on how reforms can be effectively accelerated, particularly in the areas of economic governance, digitalisation, and international financial connectivity.

The discussions also addressed the support provided by the Slovenian Government through the Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) in the context of the #NBM LearnOrgLab project – Institutional Transformation into a Learning-Oriented Organisation. The NBM is the first institution in the region to benefit from this project, which aims to strengthen institutional capacities in the field of professional development and knowledge transfer.

The Slovenian delegation also included His Excellency Robert Kokalj, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Chisinau, as well as other decision-makers from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia.

The visit of the Slovenian delegation is part of the NBM's strategy to promote international dialogue and the exchange of experience with European institutions, in order to facilitate the effective implementation of reforms and the harmonious integration of the Republic of Moldova into European financial systems.