Half of USMI's "Partners" Say They Have No Partnership
As USMI prepares to bring a Congressional Delegation to Moldova, five organizations - including a UN agency - deny any relationship with the group
Half of the organizations listed as official “partners” by the US Moldova Initiative (USMI) say they have no relationship with the group at all. Not one has confirmed a partnership. This calls into question USMI’s credibility as a “bridge” between the two countries - credibility they are relying on to bring a US Congressional Delegation (CODEL) to Moldova this week.
On their website, USMI lists 10 companies, organizations and government entities in Moldova under the page “Our Partnerships.” On that page they claim that “USMI's work is made possible through a growing network of Moldovan and international partners” and suggest concrete cooperation writing:
“Together with our partners, we build the programs, connections, and civic infrastructure that a stronger Moldova requires”
Of those 10 partners, the National Olympic & Sports Committee (CNOS), UNHCR - the UN Refugee Agency in Moldova, the Handball Federation of Moldova, NGO Speranta 87 and the National Commission of the Republic of Moldova for UNESCO all denied knowledge of USMI and any official partnership with the organization.
A representative of Moldova’s National Olympic & Sports Committee (CNOS) responded writing:
“The National Olympic and Sports Committee of the Republic of Moldova has no formal partnership or any other form of association with the US Moldova Initiative. Furthermore, we are not familiar with this organization and have never provided our consent for the use of our logo or for the inclusion of our Committee among the partners listed on its website.
The use of the National Olympic and Sports Committee of the Republic of Moldova’s logo on this website was unauthorized and constitutes an improper and unauthorized use of our visual identity.”
Emphasis theirs.
Other listed partners - WKF Moldova, construction company Basconslux SRL, the Union of Sugar Producers of Moldova and Vinăria Bostavan (Purcari Winery Group) did not respond to requests for comment as of this article’s publication.
USMI also lists the Linella Supermarket chain and Commercial Director Maria Movileanu by name in their partnership writeup. Reached for comment, Maria Movileanu responded that she served as the parent company Moldretail’s Commercial Director until June 30, 2026, but that “I have no idea about this project” and that she is “not aware of this initiative.” She did not reply on behalf of the company.
These responses indicate a pattern. USMI’s website partner list appears to be substantially, if not completely, false. In at least 5 instances, partners were listed without consent or verification and in the case of UNHCR, their representative stated that their attempts to contact USMI to remedy this have not been successful.
USMI and Executive Director Sam Alaverdov did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
The offices of Representatives Andy Harris, Michael Cloud, and Sheri Biggs - who USMI has listed as participants in the July 24–29 CODEL - did not respond to questions about USMI’s claimed partnerships or whether this new information affects their understanding of the trip. The offices previously did not respond to requests to confirm their attendance.
You can read Moldova Matters’ previous reporting on this CODEL here:
USMI Has an Unusual Schedule in Moldova
Congressional Delegations traveling to Moldova will typically schedule meetings with private sector representatives - especially American investors - to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries. These meetings would typically be organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Moldova (AMCHAM).
Since this CODEL is privately organized, USMI exercises considerable control over who the members of Congress will meet while in Chisinau. Moldova Matters has confirmed that USMI did not reach out to AMCHAM for a meeting, nor did they contact the European Business Association (EBA), the Foreign Investors Association (FIA) or the Moldova Small Enterprise Alliance (AIM)1. Instead, they are meeting with private sector representatives via the “Traktor Business Community.”
Unlike the previously mentioned organizations, Traktor is not a business association2. It does not represent investors or local companies in dialogues with the government and it does not participate in the development of policy or reforms. Traktor is more like a club that organizes events and parties for their members3. Nor are there any indications that Traktor has American members or seeks to incorporate foreign investors. Multiple people familiar with Traktor’s work told Moldova Matters that it is a predominantly Russian-language group4 focused on networking and events organization.
Cristina Trucani, the Executive Director of Traktor, confirmed their participation in the delegation’s visit but stated that they are “awaiting further details about the meeting from the American side.”
What This All Means
On March 13, 2026 USMI launched their website stating that their organization “connects Americans and Moldovans through exchange, civic engagement, and the belief that real relationships change the world.” There is no evidence that USMI has done any activities in support of this aspiration so far. On their website, they list partners who they claim play key roles in their work. Of the 10 partners listed, 5 had never heard of USMI and flatly stated that their organization did not have any partnership with them. No “partner” confirmed a relationship with USMI at the time of publication.
The one activity that USMI has engaged in is the organization of a privately funded US Congressional delegation to Moldova, scheduled to arrive this week. With no prior activities, USMI has publicly presented only 2 mechanisms of verifying their credibility - their partners and their team. With half of their listed partners denying any connection, that leaves their team - namely, Executive Director Sam Alaverdov.
Prior Moldova Matters reporting has shown how Mr. Alaverdov privately funded political lobbying efforts for a Moldovan politician linked to sanctioned oligarch Ilan Shor. He was also listed on House Ethics Committee filings as the representative of a different NGO that financed a 2021 CODEL to Ukraine. That NGO reported neither income nor expenses in the year in question and it remains unclear who paid for the three members of Congress, family and staff to make that trip. You can read that reporting here:
Finally, USMI is not simply organizing plane tickets and hotels. They are substantially, if not totally, responsible for the organization of the meetings and events that these members of Congress will attend. The fact that they will be meeting the Traktor Business Community, but not the American Chamber of Commerce, highlights this discretion.
This Friday, July 24, USMI is expected to bring three members of the US Congress to Chisinau. If the trip proceeds as planned, an organization that appeared 4 months ago, has falsely listed partnerships in Moldova and is run by a man whose previous NGO reported serious financial discrepancies, including on a past CODEL, will organize travel, lodging and events for three elected representatives and will substantially frame their view of Moldova.
Moldova Matters will continue following the story and report on the CODEL itself if it arrives as planned.
Disclaimer: I am one of the founders of AIM and a former board president of the organization.
It’s technically registered as a foundation under the name Ganea Group - named after its founder Igor Ganea
Unlike business associations where members exercise democratic control of the organization, foundations do not have members. So membership in Traktor is likely a self-association rather than a legal concept.
Their website defaults to Russian but has Romanian and English options
Interesting to explore the exact nature of these “partnerships.”
Excellent reporting, David. It exemplifies the importance of Moldova Matters and why people should subscribe to it.