Between 19–23 January, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is hosting a scoping mission of a team of experts from Statistics Sweden, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation through the initiation of a technical assistance project in the field of official statistics.

The team consists of Mr. Andreas Blomquist, Team Leader, Section for International Development Cooperation, Mr. Thomas Bjurenvall, RBM Expert, Section for International Development Cooperation; Kristina Strandberg, Head of Section for Development of Data Collection Methodology; and Per Andreasson, Head of Unit for Business, Foreign Trade and Price Statistics.

Representatives of the NBS, as well as of other national authorities – partners within the National Statistical System (NSS) – are participating in the working meetings.

The purpose of the mission is to identify and discuss cooperation needs and priorities aimed at aligning Moldovan statistics with European Union standards, as well as at strengthening the institutional capacities of the NBS and of the NSS as a whole. During the discussions, the parties address cooperation in several statistical areas, including: economic statistics (national accounts, industry statistics, business statistics, price statistics, external trade, etc.); social statistics (labour market, health, social protection, justice, education, science and culture, etc.); and agricultural and environmental statistics.

The working meetings also covered cross-cutting issues essential for the modernization of official statistics, such as: quality management systems, dissemination and communication issues, digitalization and modernization of statistical processes, the use of administrative data, and institutional capacity building.

The mission agenda also includes discussions with relevant institutional partners in order to identify cooperation opportunities and strengthen interinstitutional collaboration in the field of official statistics. Participating partner institutions include representatives of the National Bank of Moldova, the Agency for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre, the Ministry of Education and Research, and the National Agency for Research and Development.

It is worth noting that another cooperation project between the NBS and Statistics Sweden was successfully implemented during 2013–2017, providing a solid foundation for the development of new joint initiatives.