Press
Idaho & Moldova sign World Council International partnership agreement
CHISINAU, MOLDOVA (May 7, 2015) — Four representatives of the Idaho Credit Union League recently visited the Central Association of Savings and Credit Associations (CASCA) of Moldova in Eastern Europe to sign a partnership agreement, the newest of 20 international partnerships managed by the World Council of Credit Unions.
“We very much appreciate CASCA’s participation in our International Partnerships Program and their role in hosting the Idaho Credit Union League’s delegation,” said Brian Branch, World Council president & CEO. “The two organizations have a great deal of information to share for the mutual benefit and development of more comprehensive and effective member services.”
World Council’s International Partnerships Program unites credit union movements from around the world to exchange ideas, best practices and technical expertise. The program builds stronger institutional capacity that ultimately benefits credit union members, while demonstrating the principle of cooperation among cooperatives that distinguish credit unions as financial institutions.
Photo caption: The Idaho Credit Union League and Central Association of Savings and Credit Associations (CASCA) of Moldova, a World Council member, signed a partnership agreement through World Council’s International Partnerships Program. From left: Shane Berger, Idaho League chairman; Victor Corro, World Council vice president; and Victor Trocin, CASCA general manager.
Idaho League representatives on the trip included Shane Berger, Idaho League chairman, Beehive Federal Credit Union president/CEO and member of CUNA’s World Leadership Development Committee; Robert Taylor, Idaho State University Credit Union president/CEO; David Lawrence, CapEd Federal Credit Union director; and Will Hall, Idaho League vice president. World Council’s Victor Corro, vice president, and Liliana Tangwall, manager member services, accompanied the delegation.
Photo caption: Idaho League and World Council representatives visited credit union executives at CASCA headquarters in Chisinau, Moldova.
In the new partnership, the Idaho League and World Council seek to provide a variety of operational and technical assistance to Moldovan credit union organizations. The assistance can take many forms, including savings growth strategies for credit unions, regulatory support and marketing support for bolstering awareness and participation in the credit union movement. The next steps include defining the focus and developing a work plan.
During the week-long exchange, the Idaho delegation met extensively with CASCA, credit unions and their members, the national regulator and the Rural Finance Corporation, to better understand credit unions’ role in Moldova’s economic landscape. Meetings took place with rural credit unions, including Onești-Credit and Rural Credit, the National Commission for Financial Markets and the Ministry of Agriculture. Moldova is a country of about 3.5 million people, nestled between Romania and Ukraine. Its rich soil and moderate climate lend themselves to agriculture, which is credit union members’ main economic activity. Crops include fruits, vegetables and wine.
“Signing the collaboration agreement with World Council and the Idaho Credit Union League is a very important event for CASCA,” said Victor Trocin, CASCA general director. “CASCA was created in 2009 and is proud to be recognized worldwide as a member of the global credit union movement. The visit of the Idaho League and World Council in Moldova was a very useful exchange, in particular for the upcoming amendments to the credit union law initiated by the National Commission for Financial Markets.”
Photo caption: The delegation visited credit union member, Semion Colesnic, who took out a credit union loan to invest in a greenhouse. From left: Mihai Galesco, Rural Credit chairman; Semion Colesnic, greenhouse owner; Victor Corro, World Council vice president; and Shane Berger, Idaho League chairman.
“Exchanges like this are extremely valuable, in that we can learn different ways of approaching credit union work from each other, while at same time communing over the similar challenges we face such as increasing youth membership, emerging technologies and how to protect small credit unions,” Berger said.
World Council of Credit Unions is the global trade association and development agency for credit unions. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions’ financial performance and increase their outreach.
World Council has implemented more than 290 technical assistance programs in 71 countries. Worldwide, 57,000 credit unions in 103 countries serve 208 million people. Learn more about World Council’s impact around the world at www.woccu.org.