October Newsletter

AmChamNews
October
2007
AMCHAM MOLDOVA
FIGHTING FOR YOUR BUSINESS
AmChamNews is produced by
The American Chamber of Commerce in Moldova
57/1 Banulescu-Bodoni
QBE ASITO Building, office 410
mun. Chisinau MD-2005
Republic of Moldova
Telephone: (+373 22) 211 781
Fax: (+373 22) 211 782
Email: [email protected]
http://www.amcham.md
Questions or Comments? Please feel free to contact us at
[email protected]
AmChamNews October Preview
Page 1
INTRODUCTION
AMCHAM CALENDAR
AMCHAM GENERAL MEMBER MEETING
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
Page 2
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Pages 3 and 4
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: PURCARI WINERY
Page s 5 and 6
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: BOSTAVAN WINERY
Pages 7 and 8
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: DIONYSOS-MERENI WINERY
Pages 9 and 10
SPECIAL SPOTLIGHT: CHATEAU VARTELY
Page 11
UPCOMING EVENTS AND COLLABORATIONS
Page 12
PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION ORGANIZED BY AMCHAM
ECONOMIC NEWS
Page 13
CONTINUATION OF ECONOMIC NEWS
Page 14
NATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL 2007
Page 15
NATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL 2007 IN PICTURES
Dear AmCham Members,
AmCham Calendar
General Member Meeting
October is the month of wine in Moldova. All over the country wineries are harvesting grapes and preparing to produce this year’s product. Wineries are not the only entities producing wine though, many
private citizens in Moldova also produce wine on smaller scales for
personal use or for sale.
Since October is the month of wine we decided to have this issue of
AmChamNews focus primarily on our members that are wine producers to give you a little more insight into their products and how they
operate. We also have a special section dedicated to this year’s National Wine Festival.
October was a very busy month at AmCham. We had a General Member meeting where we presented the progress of AmCham’s projects,
elected a new Board of Directors, and had a very special guest
speaker. AmCham’s members attended the meeting and it was a
chance for all of us to see how much this organization really has
grown over the past months.
October 17, 2007
First Meeting of the new Board of Directors
November 1, 2007
International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility
November 8, 2007
All Member Thanksgiving Celebration
November 22, 2007
AMCHAM GENERAL MEMBER MEETING
AmCham had a General Member meeting on October 17, 2007 at the
Leogrand Hotel & Convention Center. The following issues were discussed at the meeting:
1.
2.
3.
Presentation of the National Agency for Protection of Competition
by Mrs. Viorica Carare, General Director of the agency;
Presentation of AmCham’s projects;
Election of a new Board of Directors.
The meeting was followed by a reception and cocktail party in the main
foyer of the convention center.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
The first meeting with the new Board was a success and we would like
to congratulate Mr. John Maxemchuk for being elected as the President of the Board for the second year running.
Once again we would like to thank all of our members for their support and we look forward to working with the newly elected Board of
Directors over the coming year.
Best regards,
Jerad Scott Tietz
Director of Member Communications
The first meeting of the new Board of Directors was held on November 1
in the Rose Room of the Leogrand Hotel & Convention Center. The following issues were discussed at the meeting:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Election of the new President of the Board of Directors;
AmCham administrative documents;
Relief effort for the victims of the explosion in Soroca;
Upcoming AmCham events;
Approval of new members and projection of prospective members;
Progress of AmCham projects;
Budget for 2008.
The complete minutes of the meeting is posted on the AmCham website.
1
AmChamNews October 2007
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLY ELECTED AMCHAM
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Nr.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Nr.
1
2
3
Returning to the Board of Directors
NAME
COMPANY
Mr. Alexander Turcan
Turcan & Turcan
Mr. Conrad Fritsch
CNFA®
Mrs. Cristina Harea
Horizon Capital Advisors
Mr. Dan Popov
PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Brodsky Looper Reed
Mr. David Brodsky
& Associates
Mr. John Maxemchuk
Sun Communications
Mrs. Silvia Radu
Union Fenosa
Moldovan Chamber of
Mr. Vladimir Didilica
Commerce and Industry
New to the Board of Directors
NAME
COMPANY
Mr. Aurel Cepoi
XEROX
Mr. Boris Efimov
Dionysos-Mereni
Mr. Pavel Bodarev
MoldAuditing
2
AmChamNews October 2007
MEMBER SPOGHTLIGHT
PURCARI WINERY
Purcari Winery was founded in 2003. The
chief purpose of creating this company
was to revive the production of unique,
http://www.purcari.md
historic wine blends, such as Negru de
Purcari and Rosu de Purcari as well as the
This year’s International Wine Festival in Chisinau revival of the Moldovan unique famous
was very well organized and professionally done. blended wines – “Negru de Purcari” and
Do you think that your organization was exposed to “Rosu de Purcari”, which conquered Paris in 1878, being rewarded
more foreign investors, buyers, distributors, etc., as with the Grand Prix at the World’s Fair in Paris.
a result of participating in the festival?
INTERVIEW WITH MR. GEORGE SEYKASH,
DIRECTOR OF SALES, PURCARI WINERY
AmCham:
George:
AmCham:
George:
Fast forward to today and Purcari Winery is a vertically integrated
We do believe that the “festival” format of the
company with a developed complex for tourists which includes a five
event is more designed for the final consumer of stars mini hotel. The production facility in the Purcari area was rethe wine than for the buyers, distributors from
built, where the quality of the soil and the
other countries. In this context the event has
climate create ideal conditions for viticulsome influence on the final consumers of wine in
ture, with proven results. The Purcari proMoldova. The increasing attendance to this
duction facility was fully revived and upevent from domestic and abroad proves the
graded, and the old cellars, built as far back
necessity of such an event in Moldova
as 1827, were renovated. Today the cellars
although there is a lot of room for improvement
are among the oldest and most famous in
with regards to the organizational part, time
Moldova.
frame.
The current wine production facility at Purcari contains a section for
This year’s drought had a very large impact on the grape processing and fermentation, a refrigerating section, primary
agricultural industry as a whole, not least the wine wine processing and storage facilities, bottling machinery, a modern
manufacturers. How could wine manufacturers in lab, and well equipped offices. The company is also equipped with
Moldova work together to ensure that if there was the latest Italian machinery manufactured equipment.
another drought that it would have less of an
impact on the wine market?
Purcari also offers tours of its facilities and vacation packages to its
winery in the south of Moldova. The packages include wine tasting
Purcari vineyards have not been affected by the of some of the finest wines Purcari has to offer, a top-class chef to
drought this year based on the location existing prepare meals, and the space and time to relax in the midst of the
micro climate.
quaint Moldovan countryside.
Interview Continued on Page 4 →
3
AmChamNews October 2007
For more information about tours or vacations visit
http://www.purcari.md
Contact Information
Contact Person
George Seykash
Director of Sales
Telephone
(+373) 22 745 838
Fax
(+373) 754 451
Address
Vinaria Purcari
Bd. Stefan Cel Mare, nr.
202
Mun. Chisinau, MD-2004
Republic of Moldova
Email
[email protected]
Website
www.purcari.md
MEMBER SPOGHTLIGHT
PURCARI WINERY
Purcari isVartely
Chateau
one of regularly
the most highly
participates
decorated
in domestic
wineriesand
in
international
Moldova.
Its wine
Awards
exhibitions
include many
and itsgold
and silver
Awards
include
medals
from
international
anddiplomas,
domestichonorary
wine exhibimany gold
and
silver medals,
mentions.
tions, and features in specialty wine magazines around
George:
Europe. http://www.purcari.md/en/content/10/
Gold Medal
Cahor
Gold Medal
Merlot
Seal of
Approval
Gold Medal
Sauvignon
Purcari’s products are a wide range of high-quality
wines for all tastes and palettes.
http://www.purcari.md/en/products/
Chateau Vartely’s Products include a wide variety of
wines. The winery’s product line includes such categories as: Selected Wines, High Quality Wines, Sweet
Wines,
Ice Wine, de
and Private
Label.de
Sauvignon
Negru
de Reserve,Chardonnay
Purcari
Purcari
Purcari
CONTINUATION OF INTERVIEW WITH
MR. GEORGE SEYKASH
http://www.purcari.md
On the level of the industry there is a need for a unique policy of the wine growers and wine producers which has to be delivered to the government with regards towards the irrigation system in Moldova (of course we
are not discussing about premium wines).
AmCham:
Can consumers in Moldova expect any new innovations on the horizon for the products that your company produces?
George:
Just recently our company launched the legendary Moldovan wines of Negru
de Purcari and Roşu de Purcari, wines in ultra premium segment.
Negru de Purcari is an intense and rather complex nose alludes of sweet fruit reminiscent of ripe
plums and figs. With time, the wine’s aroma evolves into whiffs and layers of mixed spice, liquor
rice and saffron. Dark fruit and chocolate flavors entice on a full palate. This is a full-bodied
blend of carefully handpicked Cabernet-Sauvignon, Rara Neagră, and Saperavi grapes grown on
the right bank of the river Nistru, in the Purcari village of Moldova. This velvety dry red wine is
well structured. Ample yet soft tannin persists in a long agreeable persistent finish of this fine vin
tage.
Negru de Purcari has been matured in French-oak baroques for 2.5 years and a further 6
months in the bottle. The wine is ready for drinking now but will benefit from a few years aging
in the bottle.
Roşu de Purcari is a slightly shy but pleasant fruity nose opens up with time and fills out with
sweet hints of vanilla. This brick red dry wine is elegant on the palate and shows complexity.
Gradually, flavors of ripe forest and autumn fruits, such as wild berries and boiled plum, take
over.
This is a full-bodied, fruity blend of carefully handpicked Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, and Mal
bec grapes grown on the right bank of the river Nistru, in the Purcari village of Moldova.
This subtle yet rich wine has been vinified into a soft and herb-laced dry red wine with plenty
pliable tannin in a mature finish.
Rosu de Purcari has been matured in French-oak baroques for 2.5 years and a further 6
months in the bottle. The wine is ready for drinking now but will benefit from a few years aging
in the bottle.
Merlot de
Purcari
Roşu de
Purcari
Cahor de
Purcari
A special thank you to Mr. George Seykash for taking the time to speak with AmCham.
MEMBER SPOGHTLIGHT
MEMBER SPOGHTLIGHT
PURCARI WINERY
BOSTAVAN WINERY
INTERVIEW WITH MR. GEORGE SEYKASH,
DIRECTOR OF SALES, BOSTAVAN WINERY
http://www.bostavan.md
AmCham:
George:
The re-opening of the Russian wine market to
Moldovan wine was certainly good news for wine
manufacturers in Moldova. What steps have wine
manufacturers in Moldova taken recently to help
diversify their export opportunities?
The Moldovan Wine Guild was created with the
mission of promoting Moldovan wines and wine
culture in the domestic market and abroad.
Purcari Winery collaborates with foreign
experts (winemakers, etc.) in order to tailor the
wine taste to the requirements of the different
markets. This is one of the reasons that Purcari
exports to different countries such as Germany,
Japan, Holland, the Baltic States, Poland,
Romania, the Czech Republic, etc.
Interview Continued on Page 6 →
Vinaria Bostavan was founded in 2003. It
is a vertically integrated manufacturer –
with its own raw material base – primary
processing facilities – secondary production facilities – distribution network in
strategic markets.
The enterprise is equipped in accordance with European standards
and all the wineries are ISSO 9001:2001 certified.
AmChamNews August-September 2007
Contact Person
George Seykash
Director of Sales
Telephone
(+373) 22 745 838
Fax
(+373) 754 451
Today Bostavan Winery owns plants in two of the most favorable
regions of Moldova for vine growing: Plant Onesti – the very center
Address
of Moldova, best region for white grapes growing and Plant Etulia
Vinaria Bostavan
located in the very south part of Moldova, unique by its climate for
Bd. Stefan Cel Mare, nr.
red grapes growing, well known for production of dessert wines.
202
Mun. Chisinau, MD-2004
Bostavan Winery exports to over 20 countries world wide: Common
Republic of Moldova
Wealth of Independent States (CIS), Europe, the United States, and
Asia. Bostavan Winery is a modern factory capable of processing
Email
up to 20,000 tons of grapes per season. The total volume of [email protected]
van’s storage tanks is more than 15 million liters of wine and cognac. The modern bottling line works with a capacity of 12,000 per
Website
hour. The latest equipment for bottling bag-in-box containers alwww.bostavan.md
lows for the bottling of up to 500 boxes an hour.
Bostavan’s factory was built and equipped under the shortest possible time frame—reconstruction of the old half-destroyed factory was
started in May 2002; simultaneously with the reconstruction, grapes
were collected, processed and the wine matured. The first produced
product left the factory in early
February 2003.
5
Contact Information
MEMBER SPOGHTLIGHT
BOSTAVAN WINERY
BostavanVartely
Chateau
Wineryregularly
has won many
participates
awardsinfor
domestic
its excepand
international
tional
wines. wine
Its production
exhibitions
techniques
and its Awards
and technology
include
allow
to compete
with
some ofhonorary
the best inmenmany the
goldwines
and silver
medals,
diplomas,
Europe
at features
international
and Domestic
competitions.
tions, and
in specialty
wine magazines
around
Europe.
http://www.bostavan.md
Gold Medal
Merlot
Gold Medal
Sauvignon
Gold Medal
Best Debut
Gold Medal
Cabernet
Bostavan’s products
http://www.bostavan.md
6
Cabernet Monastic
Hut
Oriental Chardonnay
Mystery
AmChamNews October 2007
AmCham:
Since you are a wine expert, what wine would you recommend from your company’s
collection?
George:
We suggest to our consumers all our wines. Generally wine tasting depends on
the occasion, on the mood, etc. Every wine is interesting in its way at right
circumstances and of course it depends on the cuisine which accompanies the
wine.
A special thank you to Mr. George Seykash for taking the time to speak with AmCham.
Chateau Vartely’s Products include a wide variety of
wines. The winery’s product line includes such categories as: Selected Wines, High Quality Wines, Sweet
Wines, Reserve, Ice Wine, and Private Label.
Pinot
Noir
INTERVIEW WITH MR. GEORGE SEYKASH, DIRECTOR OF SALES,
BOSTAVAN WINERY
http://www.bostavan.md
Black
Doctor
MEMBER SPOGHTLIGHT
DIONYSOS-MERENI
Founded in 1959, the winery originally supplied the former INTERVIEW WITH MR. BORIS EFIMOV, BOARD
Soviet Union with high-quality wine. In 1995 its facilities
OF DIRECTORS, DIONYSOS-MERENI
were renovated and the company was privatized and reorhttp://www.dionysos-mereni.com
ganized into a joint-stock company today known as Dionysos-Mereni. In the same year a filling line was also inAmCham:
This year’s International Wine Festival in Chisinau
stalled allowing the company to become a full-cycle winery.
was very well organized and professionally done.
In the year 2000 a production system was launched allowing the winery to produced very high-quality wines and
thus beginning the modern day history of the winery.
Boris:
Today Dionysos-Mereni has been fully re-equipped. The
winery has a full-time staff of approximately 150 employees, many of which reside in the villages surrounding the
vineyards and winery. Workers born in this region of
Moldova have a special relationship with the land that no
outsider can hope to acquire, giving them an edge when
caring for the vines and grapes which will be made into
fine wines.
The winery is filled with the
most modern and technologically advanced equipment
from around the world and,
naturally, the Moldovan knowhow and skills for wine making.
AmCham:
Boris:
Do you think that your organization was exposed to
more foreign investors, buyers, distributors, etc., as
a result of participating in the festival?
Sincerely, we were not expecting so many guests
from abroad and were glad to meet the vivid
interest to our wines, in spite of unfavorable
weather during the festival. We are happy to
observe that the festival grows by years in terms
of local participants and business guests.
This year’s drought had a very large impact on the
agricultural industry as a whole, not least the wine
manufacturers. How could wine manufacturers in
Moldova work together to ensure that if there was
another drought that it would have less of an
impact on the wine market?
In our opinion, the drought this year has not
actually dramatically affected the crop. In fact,
hailing and heavy rains during maturing can
bring some serious dangers for the grape crop.
However, the drought brought some
considerable losses for farmers this year for the
other products.
Interview Continued on Page 8 →
7
AmChamNews October 2007
Contact Information
Contact Person
Boris Efimov
Financial Director
Telephone
(+373) 22 234 950
Fax
(+373) 22 234 961
Address
Dionysos-Mereni
str. Ion Creanga, nr. 22/2
mun. Chisinau, MD-2064
Republic of Moldova
Email
[email protected]
Website
www.dionysos-mereni.com
MEMBER SPOGHTLIGHT
DIONYSOS-MERENI
Dionysos-Mereni
Chateau
Vartely regularly
has won many
participates
an award
in domestic
for its very
and
INTERVIEW WITH MR. BORIS EFIMOV,
international
special
line ofwine
wines.
exhibitions
The traditional
and its techniques
that
BOARD OF DIRECTOS, DIONYSOS-MERENI
Awards include
the
winery
implements
gives its
productshonorary
the distinct
many
gold and
silver medals,
diplomas,
menhttp://www.dionysos-mereni.com
flavors
that
have earned
it many
prestigious
awards
at
tions, and
features
in specialty
wine
magazines
around
AmCham:
The re-opening of the Russian wine market to Moldovan wine was
both
international and domestic competitions.
Europe.
certainly good news for wine manufacturers in Moldova. What steps
have wine manufacturers in Moldova taken recently to help
diversify their export opportunities?
Gold Medal
Merlot
Gold Medal
Sauvignon
Seal of
Approval
Carlevana
Boris:
Dionysos-Mereni has always been developing the Western
markets such as Western Europe, USA, Canada, Japan and
other countries. Its markets have never been limited by sales to
Russia. The situation with Russia just confirms that the
management of Dionysos-Mereni is on the right strategy.
AmCham:
Can consumers in Moldova expect any new innovations on the horizon
for the products that your company produces?
Boris:
It is a tradition for the Dionysos-Mereni to present annually new wines for the
rigid consumers’ justice not only in Moldova but also abroad. Usually it happens
at the wine festival or wine exposition “Moldova Wine”. Rara Neagra 2005 from
the Raritet series was presented this year. This is a successful creation by our
wine-maker Constantin Stratan that acquired hearts of many experts. The
common opinion of the international critics that visited the festival and a
number of winemakers in Moldova is that Rara Neagra 2005 deserves the
highest evaluation.
AmCham:
Since you are a wine expert, what wine would you recommend from
your company’s collection?
Boris:
There a number of them. We would particularly mention unique sweet (dessert)
“Icewine” and “Ambrosia”, the “Raritet” series (Rara Neagra 2005, Malbec
2003, Merlotage 2003), marvelous Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, and Carlevana
Rezerva 2002 series (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon).
Gold Medal
Cabernet
Dionysos-Mereni’s Products
http://www.dionysos-mereni.com
Dionysos-Mereni has a wine for every taste and event in
its wonderful collection of classic, sweet (dessert), and
Chateau Vartely’s
Products
a widewines.
variety of
non-traditional
product
line ofinclude
high-quality
wines. The winery’s product line includes such categories as:Category
Selected Wines,
High
Quality Wines, Sweet
Featured
of Wine:
Carlevana
Wines, Reserve, Ice Wine, and Private Label.
Сreated with a combination of classical methods and modern technology the wines Carlevana fully reflect the potential of Moldova as
a producer of fine and high-quality wines.
The range consists of 9 dry red and white wines of high quality: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon
Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Feteasca, Kagor.
Under the Carlevana trade mark we also produce wines of Rezerva category: Cabernet Sauvignon Rezerva и Chardonnay Rezerva.
A special thank you to Mr. Boris Efimov for taking the
time to speak with AmCham.
8
AmChamNews October 2007
SPECIAL SPOGHTLIGHT
CHATEAU VARTELY WINERY
INTERVIEW WITH MR. DUMITRU TCACI, SALES Chateau Vartely is one of the youngest wineries in Moldova, and is a Contact Information
producer of top quality wines made from the best European species
DIRECTOR, CHATEAU VARTELY
of grapes grown in the central and southern parts of the country. The Contact Person
http://www.vartely.md
AmCham:
This year’s International
Wine Festival in Chisinau was very well organized and professionally done. Do you
think that your organization was exposed to
more foreign investors, buyers, distributors,
etc., as a result of participating in the festival?
Dumitru:
AmCham:
Dumitru:
creation, production development, and sales of Chateau Vartely
wines is pre-planned for 10 years and the volume of investments in
the company constitutes about 9.5 mil USD. The production is limited: in 2005-2006, about 400,000 bottles of wine were delivered to
Russia. Today, Chateau Vartely is the smallest wine-maker in
Moldova. The overall production volume will rise from 450,000 bottles (in 2005) to 3,000,000 bottles by 2008.
Following the old local traditions of making noble
Yes. We have signed two agreements during
wine, Chateau Vartely supervises and controls the
these two days of wine festival, we have met our
wine-making process from vintage to bottling in
costumers with whom are working. Besides that
high quality containers, taking into consideration
all the customers who had the possibility to
all the development stages of the drink, using moddiscuss with us, to taste wines at Wine Festival
ern European production technologies, as well as
and who was interested in our business we
packaging of every bottle according to world stanhave invited to our Winery after the Festival.
dards:
original
Italian
or French bottles, natural corks from PortuNow we are in discussions with some of them.
gal, labels faultlessly printed on a special paper with additional proThis year’s drought had a very large impact on the tection levels, firm seal with exclusive top-disc.
agricultural industry as a whole, not least the wine
manufacturers. How could wine manufacturers in The policy of the development of Chateau Vartely production differs
Moldova work together to ensure that if there was from the majority of producers in the Republic of Moldova. While
other wine-making factories chose to increase the volume of producanother drought that it would have less of an im
tion Chateau Vartely bases its activity on the creation of unique wines
pact on the wine market?
made from grapes collected from its own vineyards in the southern
Actually the drought of this year is not a prob- and central parts of the country and carefully selected by the faclem for aged vineyards. Quite the contrary – the tory’s specialists using the newest grape-growing and wine-making
grapes accumulated this year the highest level of technologies.
natural sugar. It means that the level of natural
alcohol in wines will be high and all the best
Chateau Vartely accepts online orders and will even deliver the orlines and features will be kept enough.
ders anywhere in Chisinau free of charge.
Interview Continued on Page 10→
9
AmChamNews October 2007
Order from 09:00—18:00 Monday through Friday
http://www.vartely.md/order/en.html
Dumitru Tcaci
Sales Director
Telephone
(+373) 22 885 070
Fax
(+373) 22 885 060
Address
Chateau Vartely
Bd. Stefan Cel Mare, nr.
65
Office 800
Mun. Chisinau, MD-2001
Republic of Moldova
Email
[email protected]
[email protected]
Website
www.vartely.md
MEMBER SPOGHTLIGHT
CHATEAU VARTELY WINERY
Chateau Vartely regularly participates in domestic and
international wine exhibitions and its awards include
many gold and silver medals, diplomas, honorary mentions, and features in specialty wine magazines around
Europe.
http://www.vartely.md/progress/expovin_2005/en.html
Gold Medal
Merlot
Gold Medal
Sauvignon
Gold Medal
Best Debut
MUSCAT
PRIVATE LABEL
AmCham:
The re-opening of the Russian wine market to Moldovan wine was
certainly good news for wine manufacturers in Moldova. What
steps have wine manufacturers in Moldova taken recently to help
diversify their export opportunities?
Dumitru:
Of course Russian is the biggest and very opportune market for
Moldavian Exports, and not only export of wines. And I agree
with you that this is good news for wine manufacturers in
Moldova. But in the period of 2006 – 2007, more than
50% of Moldavian wineries developed very strong net
work of distribution Moldavian wines all over the world (China, USA, Europe,
Scandinavia, Japan, etc.). The quality of Moldavian wines was always at a high
level. The only reason that Moldavian wines where not sold in other countries –
is that they where not focused on the wine itself. Now we are ready and we have
focused already our strategy to the countries from all over the world, and we will
succeed.
AmCham:
Can consumers in Moldova expect any new innovations on the horizon for the
products that your company produces?
Dumitru:
Yes. Ice wine from other types of grapes besides Riesling what we have now.
This is what I can say openly now. All other news you will receive in time. But
each year we will make nice surprises to our customers.
AmCham:
Since you are a wine expert, what wine would you recommend from your company’s
collection?
Dumitru:
High quality white Ice wine Riesling 2005. This is the best!
Gold Medal
Cabernet
ICE WINE
Gold Medal
Traimer Ice Wine
INTERVIEW WITH MR. DUMITRU TCACI, SALES DIRECTOR,
CHATEAU VARTELY
http://www.vartely.md
MERLOT RESERVE
Chateau Vartely’s products include a wide
variety of wines. The winery’s product
line includes such categories as: Selected
Wines, High Quality Wines, Sweet Wines,
Reserve, Ice Wine, and Private Label.
http://www.vartely.md/products/ordinary/en.html
A special thank you to Mr. Dumitru Tcaci for taking the time to speak with AmCham.
10
AmChamNews October 2007
UPCOMING AMCHAM EVENTS AND COLLABORATIONS
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
International Conference
Corporate Social Responsibility for Moldova
Co-organized by
American Chamber of Commerce in Moldova
Eurasia Foundation
United Nations Development Programme
The conference will focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in
Moldova as a concept and will identify and acknowledge CSR practices
in Moldova and abroad.
Representatives from Moldovan and international companies, central
and local government, the diplomatic and donor community will be invited to attend and make presentations. Various media outlets will be
attending and reporting on this CSR conference.
Nistru Hall, Leogrand Hotel & Convention Center, 77 Mitropolit Vaarlam str.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Continuation of Agenda for the CSR Conference
The conference will focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in
Moldova as a concept and will identify and acknowledge CSR practices
in Moldova and abroad.
Representatives from Moldovan and international companies, central
and local government, the diplomatic and donor community will be invited to attend and make presentations. Various media outlets will be
attending and reporting on this CSR conference. Conference invitations
and the agenda will be sent in October.
All AmCham members are highly encouraged to participate in the
event. XEROX has already generously agreed to be the general sponsor
of the conference. Two other AmCham members, KPMG and Glass
Container Company, have also agree to sponsor the conference and
other non-AmCham companies have also decided to sponsor the event.
We are still in need of sponsorship for the event and we kindly ask each
AmCham member to consider sponsoring this conference.
In the event that your organization is interested in sponsoring this CSR
conference please contact Jerad Scott Tietz via email:
[email protected] or via telephone: 211 781.
AMCHAM THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION
AmCham is in the process of organizing a Thanksgiving Dinner for our members,
Moldovans and Americans that will be in Moldova for the holiday. The dinner is
being planned for the night of November 22 at Casa Vinului located at MoldExpo.
The event is still in its early stages of planning and when we have more information
we will contact you.
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AmChamNews October 2007
Round Table Discussion: Expanding irrigation use in Moldova
AmCham organized a round table discussion between many irrigation system manufacturers in Moldova, farmers, and the Team for Developing the Plan of Complete Assistance COMPACT.
PROJECT ANNOUNCE MENT
The round table discussion took place on October 25 at MoldExpo during the AgriculThe Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Republic of Moldova and the Ministry of tural Exhibition: Moldagrotech 2007. Approximately 20 people were in attendance at
Economy and Commerce, with the aid of the World Bank, launched a project called the meeting including three special guest presenters: Mrs. Valentina Badrajan and Mr.
Valentin Bozu from the Team for Developing the Plan of Complete Assistance COM“The Project of the Improvement of the Competitiveness” on the January 1st 2007,
PACT, and Mr. Conrad Fritsch, Project Director, Agribusiness Development Project.
with the over all objectives of:
1)
2)
3)
4)
improving the business environment;
modernization of the MSTQ system;
facilitating of the access of companies to the services of MSTQ;
assisting the firms in financing the MSTQ certification.
Mr. Bozu made a presentation of the country proposal and identified some of the sectors of the economy that stand to benefit from the program. Irrigation, the topic of the
round table, was identified as a major constraint to the economy of Moldova and Mr.
Bozu outlined the potential irrigation project that may be approved by the government
of Moldova. Mr. Conrad Fritsch spoke about how it would be possible to begin workEligible beneficiaries for this project include:
ing with small farmers to get them financing for irrigation systems as well as technical
1)
economic agents, resident of the Republic of Moldova working in the sector of
support for operating the irrigation components. The meeting was organized by Mila
production or those of services;
Dodon, Project Manager, AmCham, and moderated by Jerad Scott Tietz, Director of
2)
have not applied to other international organizations in order to obtain financial
Member Communications, AmCham.
support for co-financing similar to that proposed in this project;
3)
parties that have enough financial resources to cover 100% of their expenses
ECONOMIC NEWS
for the preparation process;
4)
do not have budget deficits.
Business Contact Points Opened in Eight Moldovan Cities
An Evaluation Committee oversees the process of co-financing; this committee is
On November 2, business contact points were opened in eight Moldovan cities, inmade up of 7 people: 3 from the government of Moldova and 4 from various associa- cluding Edinet, Glodeni, Singerei, Rezina, Ungheni, Causeni, Leova, and Comrat.
tions. This committee will work and collaborate directly with the Moldovan ChamThe network of business contact points was opened by the Ministry of Economy and
ber of Commerce and Industry.
Trade in cooperation with the TACIS Project "Support to Rural Small and MediumPresently, 157 domestic companies have been accepted into this project and a total of sized Enterprises".
4 companies have received 50% of their expenses back through the co-financing
The contact points are aimed at facilitating access to and sharing business informascheme. This project has also sent out approximately 4,200 informative brochures
tion, first of all for the citizens who intend to set up a business, but also for existent
and made 20 presentations of this project throughout Moldova.
entrepreneurs, and general public.
In the third trimester of 2007 the Moldovan Chamber of Commerce of Commerce
The initiative to launch a net of business contact points was conceived and developed
and Industry of the Republic of Moldova promoted the project and the MGFA (the
administrator of the grant scheme) signed a Participation Memorandum with 80% of under the TACIS Program "Support to Rural Small and Medium-sized Enterprises",
managed by a consortium comprising International Development Ireland (IDI) in
the Beneficiaries of the Project.
partnership with CEEN. Following successful pilot phase, it is expected that the iniFor more information on this project and how to get involved please visit
tiative will be adopted and implemented countrywide.
http://www.mec.md
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AmChamNews October 2007
ECONOMIC NEWS
U.S.MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
EXPERTS VISIT CHISINAU
A group of experts from the Millennium Challenges Corporation (MCC), visited Chisinau,
between September 20 – October 3, in order to obtain information on elaborating the process of the Threshold Program Agreement Compact.
The agenda of the American experts included a number of meetings with National Coordinator of the Elaborating Activities of the Threshold Program Compact, Mrs. Zinaida Grecianii, Deputy-Prime-Minister, the members of the Team for the Compact Plan Elaboration, as well as representatives of the Finance Ministry, Social, Family and Child Protection Ministry, the National Bank of Moldova, the National Bureau of Statistics, the World
Bank, USAID, UNDP, REC Moldova, etc.
NEW LAW ON REGISTRATION OF LEGAL ENTITIES
A new law on registration of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs was
passed by Parliament in mid-October. The goal of the new legislation is to provide a simplified procedure for opening a business in Moldova.
The newly passed legislation aims to provide a simplified procedure of registration and deletion from the State Registry for legal entities and private entrepreneurs. Other goals of the new law are: 1) to reduce the time requirements for
registration of business from 15 to 5 days; 2) to reduce the number of documents
required for registration from 6 to 4; 3) to allow for the opportunity to submit the
proper State registration documents in an electronic format; 4) to reduce the
number documents required for a business to be removed from the State Registry from 8 to 2.
The meetings focused on the conclusions following the Constraints Analysis for Economic
On the other hand, Chairman of the State Registration Chamber stressed that to
Development and Sector Analysis.
keep more complete and accurate records of the legal entities, the new law comMOLDOVA DROPS IN ECONOMIC RANKINGS
prises the notions of "active" and "passive" enterprises. The Chamber will publish in the Official Gazette the list of economic agents that do not activate and
that did not submit activity reports for a period of 12 months, thus informing the
Moldova dropped 11 positions from 86th to 97th place among 131 countries according to
state creditors that they intend to wind up these enterprises from the State Registhe Global Economic Competitiveness Index evaluated by the Geneva World Economic
Forum for 2007-2008. The lower ranking is linked with the addition of six new countries to try. This way, the State Registry will constantly be updated.
the rankings. In 2006, Moldova’s ranking rose three places only to be lowered by this
The Chairman of the Chamber specified that according to the Principal State
year’s analysis.
Tax Inspectorate data, about 52 thousand enterprises did not submit activity reports in 2005-2006.
According to the rankings produced by the World Economic Forum, Moldova’s competitiveness environment for businesses comes after Armenia, Macedonia, Nigeria and DoOn 1 October 2007, the State Registration Chamber counted more than 140
minican Republic. Romania dropped one position in the same rankings to 76 and the
thousand enterprises, of which more than 65 thousand are individual enterprises,
Ukraine dropped four places in this year’s rankings to 74th place. In comparison, Russia
more than 58 thousand are Ltd companies, 5 thousand are joint stock companies,
was ranked 58th, which is one place higher than its ranking from the previous year.
more than 4 thousand are cooperatives, and more than 2,600 are non-commercial
The United States was ranked number one in the rankings, making it the most competitive organizations.
environment for business in the world, followed by Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and many other European countries including the United Kingdom and Holland.
The rankings were compiled based on available economic data and opinion polls of more
than 11,000 business leaders world-wide and by polls conducted at the World Economic
Forum, as well as various partner research institutions and business organizations located
in the countries ranked in the report.
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AmChamNews October 2007
NATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL 2007
The history of the National Wine Festival in Moldova began with
the Resolution of the Government of Republic of Moldova Nr. 1005XV dated 19.04.2002, which stated that on the second Sunday in
October would be declared as the National Wine Day.
One of the goals of the National Wine Festival is to maintain the
prestige of wine-making production and image of Moldova on the
state level as well as to take the first step towards the International
Wine Way.
The sixth National Wine Day in 2007 was held on 13-14 October, under the patronage of
the President of the Republic of Moldova in the center of Chisinau— PiaŃa Mării Adunări NaŃionale.
The main objectives of the National Wine Festival are: 1) to revive the Wine Festival in
the country, where wine is a national pride, and where history and wine-making traditions are connected closely; 2) to establish the tradition of the Annual Wine Festival, to
maintain the prestige of Moldovan wine-making industry, to stimulate the interest to
quality drinks, and to promote the culture of wine consumption; 3) to attract foreign
tourists to Moldova .
Many of Moldova’s largest wineries participated in the National Wine Festival by setting
up displays of their wines as well as offering wine tasting of their respective wines.
This year’s festival was attended by over 8,000 tourists, by official estimates, and the
area where the wine festival took place was lined with people eager to see the festivities
and sample some of the best wines Moldova has to offer.
The following page is a collage of pictures from this year’s National Wine Festival.
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AmChamNews October 2007
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AmChamNews October 2007