Moldova interested in expanding cooperation with EAEU, says president

CHISINAU, May 27. /TASS/. Moldova is interested in intensifying cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Moldovan President Igor Dodon told TASS on Monday. "We are very interested in all integration processes going on within the EAEU. We are the only country that has received observer status in that organization. We will continue to work to that end," he said in the run-up to the EAEU summit scheduled to be held in Nur-Sultan on May 29. He cited statistics, according to which the trade turnover between Moldova and the EAEU member-countries grew 10% last year, and 3.5% from January to March 2019. Important exports The president who used to serve as the vice premier overseeing economic issues spoke out in favor of intensifying his country’s cooperation with the EAEU, whose member-states import food and agricultural raw materials worth about $30 bln annually. He noted that those were Moldova’s top export products. "The country currently sells them to the tune of about $1 bln and can increase supplies to the EAEU. There is also a huge cooperation potential in the energy sector where there are preferential prices for that organization’s members," he pointed out. Dodon also highlighted other important areas, specifically, cooperation on immigrant workforce issues, finance and others. According to Moldova’s president, it is important to make sure that "the country works with the EAEU as an observer state at the government level as well." The country’s Cabinet is to be formed following the parliamentary elections held in February. At the initiative of Dodon, Moldova was granted observer status in the organization at the EAEU summit in Sochi held on May 14, 2018. A survey conducted by the country’s Association of Sociologists and Demographers in May showed that, in the event of a referendum on the issue, 39.1% of the population would support the country’s accession to the EAEU, while 37.5% were in favor of EU membership. Key partner According to Dodon, Russia, which ranks first in terms of foreign direct investment in Moldova’s economy, is the country’s most important economic partner in the east. "The trade turnover between our two countries grew 11% last year to reach $939 mln," he said. The country exports to Russia mostly fruits, juices and wine and purchases energy products. Thanks to agreements reached by the two countries’ presidents, last year Moldova became the biggest supplier of apples to Russia (28% of the total volume), edging out such countries as China and Serbia. Dodon earlier said that he planned to discuss the extension of duty-free regime for supplies of fruits and wine, which expires in June, with the Russian leadership on the sidelines of the EAEU summit in Nur-Sultan. Read more