Expo 2020 helped spur quantum leap in Moldova-UAE bilateral trade: Envoy

Moldova-UAE bilateral trade has witnessed a quantum leap since late 2021 thanks to the business deals made at the Expo 2020 Dubai, a top Moldovan diplomat told the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

The bilateral trade in 2021 increased 3.4 times compared to 2020, in which exports from Moldova to the UAE surged 21.3 times, said Victor Haruta, the Ambassador of Moldova to the UAE.

The imports from the UAE to Moldova during the first seven months of 2022, from January to July, already witnessed 2.11 times upsurge compared to the same period in 2020, said Haruta who had come here as the first ambassador after his country opened its embassy in Abu Dhabi in 2018.

Concrete impact of Expo In an exclusive interview at the Moldovan Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the envoy revealed that a big part of the bilateral trade occurred in the fourth quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022 during the Expo 2020 Dubai.

“The Expo was an amazing platform for us. We promoted not only our culture, traditions, and history but business also. It was an opening to all 192 countries, so our Moldovan visitors could establish contacts not only with UAE, but also with all the participant countries. We used those opportunities to promote our business, to establish contacts and to sign business contracts,” explained the envoy.

Giving a concrete example for the impact of business deals made at the Expo on the bilateral trade, Haruta said a group of Moldovan fruits producers that visited the event established contacts with some local buyers, made contracts with them and started exporting fruits to the UAE within two months.

“It was the real tangible result, and it will continue to grow. Once the first contact is established it’s the most important part to start work then business continues growing,” pointed out the ambassador who just completed his tenure in the UAE.

UAE as gateway to Gulf: The diplomat said the biggest exports from Moldova to the UAE are fresh fruits. “We opened this market for Moldovan apples. We have already exported more than 9000 tonnes of apples to the UAE this year. You can find them in all the supermarkets here. We are waiting now for new harvest in September to continue exporting apples and other fresh fruits to the UAE and the entire Gulf region.” He pointed out that the UAE as a business hub is an entry point for Moldova to the Arabian Gulf region. “We use Dubai to enter the markets such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman.” Quantum leap in trade since 2021 Explaining the quantum leap in bilateral trade since 2021, Haruta said the trade volumes to the tune of $5.68 million (Dhs20.86 million) in 2020 jumped 3.4 times to $19.34 million (Dhs71.04 million)in 2021, in which exports from Moldova to the UAE surged 21.3 times, from $675,770 (Dhs2.482 million) to $14.4 million (Dhs52.89 million).

He added that the first seven months of 2022, from January to July, trade volumes already increased to $4.55 million (Dhs16.71 million), a 92.8 per cent increase from $2.36 million (Dhs8.67 million) during the same period in 2021.

Apart from fruits and vegetables, sunflower seeds and oil, ice creams, medicines, barley, and bakery products are the major exports from Moldova to the UAE.