Invest Moldova and Manchester Build a Trade Bridge
Investment opportunities do not create investment on their own.
Businesses need reliable information, trusted introductions and practical support.
Without those connections, even a promising market can remain difficult to enter.
That is why cooperation between investment agencies and regional diplomatic representatives matters.
On 19 August 2026, I met Ana-Maria Cenuș and Gabriela Romanciuc, who lead work on economic diplomacy at Invest Moldova Agency.
Our meeting took place at Invest Moldova in Chisinau.
We discussed how the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Moldova in Manchester and Invest Moldova can work together to strengthen trade, investment and business relationships between Moldova and the United Kingdom.
The conversation also supported an immediate practical project.
Later this month, Paul Kallee-Grover MBE and I will lead the First UK Business-Led Trade Mission to the Republic of Moldova.
Institutional cooperation creates commercial value
A company exploring Moldova may have many questions.
Where can it find reliable market information?
Which public agency should it approach?
How can it identify credible local partners?
What tax, legal and regulatory issues must it consider?
Which sectors offer the strongest fit?
Good institutional cooperation helps businesses answer those questions faster.
During our meeting, we identified several areas where the Honorary Consulate and Invest Moldova can work together:
- Creating sector-specific introductions
- Supporting trade missions and business visits
- Sharing current investment information
- Promoting Moldova across the North West of England
- Connecting Moldovan exporters with UK buyers
- Supporting airport and logistics engagement
Invest Moldova also confirmed its support for the forthcoming UK delegation.
That support will help delegates connect with Moldova’s national investment expertise while receiving regional guidance from mission leaders who understand the British business environment.
Connecting Moldova with the North West
The Honorary Consulate in Manchester can provide a direct bridge between Moldova and one of the United Kingdom’s strongest regional economies.
Greater Manchester and the wider North West offer expertise in:
- Financial and professional services
- Insurance and law
- Digital technology
- Advanced manufacturing
- Real estate and infrastructure
- Logistics and aviation
- Higher education and research
- International trade
However, many regional businesses still know little about Moldova.
My role includes helping them understand the country’s commercial direction, investment proposition and regional importance.
Meanwhile, Invest Moldova can provide national market intelligence, sector knowledge and access to relevant institutions.
Together, these two levels of support can turn general interest into a structured commercial conversation.
Moldova Business Week creates the platform
The Trade Mission will run from 27 September to 2 October 2026.
Delegates will arrive on Sunday, 27 September, before attending Moldova Business Week and the wider mission programme from 28 September.
Moldova Business Week 2026 will focus on three priorities:
- European economic integration
- Investment attraction
- Export growth
The programme includes thematic fora, business-to-business meetings, sector roundtables and study visits.
Invest Moldova identifies energy, financial services, construction, IT, agrifood, automotive production, infrastructure, real estate, tourism and medical services among the sectors with development potential. Its official Moldova Business Week overview explains the programme.
Consequently, British companies can explore the market while meeting investors, exporters, public bodies and commercial decision-makers in one concentrated week.
A delegation with varied expertise
Our current delegates represent:
- Legal services
- Interpreting and translation
- Bilateral trade
- Real Estate and Business Growth Advisory Services
- Real estate
- Information technology
This range demonstrates that international trade requires more than exporters.
Lawyers help companies understand contracts and regulation.
Language specialists support accurate communication and cultural understanding.
Consultants test commercial strategy.
Technology businesses assess skills, infrastructure and digital opportunities.
Real estate professionals examine the physical space required for future operations.
Therefore, a successful trade mission should bring together the services that make investment possible.
Why UK businesses should explore Moldova now
Moldova’s European integration strengthens the commercial case for early engagement.
The country received EU candidate status in June 2022. Formal accession negotiations began in June 2024.
During June and July 2026, the EU and Moldova opened negotiations on the fundamentals cluster and the external relations cluster. The second area includes trade and international policy. The Council of the European Union provides the current accession timeline.
Closer alignment with European rules should improve market access and regulatory understanding over time.
Nevertheless, companies must still conduct careful due diligence.
Investors should examine:
- Market demand
- Local partners
- Employment and skills
- Tax and company structures
- Data protection
- Supply chains
- Regulatory change
- Political and commercial risk
Early engagement gives businesses time to develop that knowledge before making major commitments.
Universities, airports and logistics companies
Local academia can support UK-Moldova relations through research, innovation, student exchanges and commercial partnerships.
Universities could also help businesses examine areas such as digital transformation, climate resilience, agritech, energy and professional education.
Airports should consider the economic value of direct connectivity.
Flights support diaspora travel, tourism, business visits and academic exchange. They can also increase confidence in bilateral trade.
Likewise, logistics companies can explore routes connecting Moldova with Romania, Ukraine and wider European markets.
Better connectivity does not only move people and goods.
It reduces the practical distance between markets.
I therefore invite universities, airports, logistics companies, insurers, law firms and financial institutions to contact me, whether or not they plan to join this mission.
Preparing for Ukraine’s reconstruction
Moldova could also support international companies interested in Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Most reconstruction work will take place inside Ukraine. However, Moldova can contribute through logistics, investment, infrastructure, energy and cross-border cooperation.
Invest Moldova describes the country as a potential gateway economy for international companies seeking a regional base. It also identifies Odesa, Vinnytsia and Chernivtsi as important Ukrainian regions within wider corridors linking Moldova, Romania and the European Union. Invest Moldova explains the regional proposition.
UK businesses interested in future reconstruction opportunities should assess Moldova now as a potential operational, logistics and partnership base.
Establishing an office may help some companies build regional knowledge, develop trusted relationships and prepare for future tendering processes.
Yet no business should treat location alone as a guarantee of success.
Each company must complete its own due diligence, understand procurement rules and identify credible partners.
From a mission to a market-entry plan
Every delegate will complete a pre-mission needs assessment or strategy call.
Participants will also receive a language, culture and business etiquette briefing.
The programme will combine:
- Sector-specific events
- Government and investment agency meetings
- Legal, tax and regulatory briefings
- Site visits
- Logistics and supply-chain events
- Individual introductions where possible
Support will continue after the delegation returns to the United Kingdom.
Each company will receive a one-to-one debrief. We will then identify practical next steps and consider how the mission leaders can continue to assist.
This follow-up will help distinguish useful activity from measurable commercial progress.
Three places remain
The mission will accept no more than ten businesses.
Three places remain available.
The final deadline for expressions of interest is 21 September 2026.
Participation remains subject to selection. We will discuss fees and commercial terms privately.
Businesses interested in joining should contact me directly at RM.Honorary.Consul@gmail.com.
Further information appears at Moldova 2026: Proven Routes to Trade and Growth.
Economic diplomacy must open doors
This meeting demonstrated what economic diplomacy should achieve.
It should connect national expertise with regional networks.
Most importantly, it should help businesses move from interest to informed action.
The article continues my “Moldova at 35: From Independence to European Integration” theme and my wider series on economic and investment diplomacy.
Follow my work through:
Express Language Solutions Ltd and Moldovan Diaspora Business Alliance Ltd sponsored this article.
I thank ELS and MDBA for their continued support for economic diplomacy, UK-Moldova trade and international engagement.
Organisations interested in sponsoring future thought leadership articles, social media content or bilateral initiatives can contact me privately at RM.Honorary.Consul@gmail.com.
About the Author
Dina Railean is the Chief Executive Officer of Express Language Solutions Ltd, Salford President of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Moldova in Manchester, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Moldovan Diaspora Business Alliance, and a Council Member of The Insurance Institute of Manchester.
Through her work across business, diplomacy and professional leadership, she writes about international trade, foreign direct investment, cross-cultural communication, leadership and the strategies that help organisations build trust and succeed across borders.