Dorin Chirtoaca, General Mayor
Dorin Chirtoaca, General Mayor

Chisinau has been transformed during the administration of Dorin Chirtoaca, General Mayor. He discusses how the city has changed and describes his plans for the future as Moldova gears up for EU membership.

European Times: How has Chisinau changed since you became mayor?

Dorin Chirtoaca: When I came into office, the city was bankrupt. We began a massive development programme with the support of the EBRD, the World Bank and other partners. We built new water and sewage pipelines serving around 100,000 households, built new roads, and awarded a tender to a company to provide new trolley cars for public transport. We have greatly improved water quality by adopting EU-standard processes and now we are rebuilding the waste-water treatment plant in phase II. We also launched an EU-supported energy plan. This year we are involved in a €22 million project to rehabilitate six main streets and create a pedestrians-only zone, the city’s first. In addition, we have boosted heating services by around 20% and have decreased our expenditures by 30% in one year alone. We have managed all this even though Chisinau’s city budget is one of the smallest in the region for a city of one million inhabitants.

European Times: Are you working with private-sector partners?

Dorin Chirtoaca: We are partnering with a brewing company for the pedestrian-zone project and we established a public-private partnership with the company operating our bus services. We have also received significant private international investment in construction projects in the city, including a Turkish investment in a cutting-edge healthcare centre. Moldova’s association agreement with the EU will create new opportunities for foreign investors and international companies in Chisinau.

European Times: Which sectors offer potential for foreign investors?

Dorin Chirtoaca: We already have manufacturing enterprises producing textiles and furniture; Italian companies have been operating here for five years. The city has also attracted significant private investment from Turkey. Chisinau and Moldova in general offer outstanding FDI opportunities since, unlike some other countries in the region, we are just beginning to develop our economy and can guarantee great growth potential and low costs. We welcome investment in manufacturing, energy, services and value-added activities that will create jobs. Moldova aims to be a reliable partner for the EU.

European Times: What is your personal message to potential investors?

Dorin Chirtoaca: I welcome European investors and partners who can help us continue to fight corruption, transform our city and implement EU standards in every area.