STATUS OF OBSERVER IN EAES WILL LEAD TO GROWTH OF MOLDOVAN EXPORTS - PRESIDENT

President Igor Dodon is sure that the receiving by Moldova of the status of observer in the Eurasian Economic Union [of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan] will contribute to growth of Moldovan exports.

Commenting on the data about the increase in Moldovan fruit and berries exports to Russia and Belarus, he wrote on his Facebook page that according to the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA), exporters started again to give preference to EAES strategic market (around 99%).

"In the first five months of 2018, fruit and berries of new crop was exported mostly to the EAES markets. Leaders in terms of importing Moldovan fruit and berries became Russia and Belarus - 64.4% and 35%, respectively. For comparison, only 0.6% of the total volume of exported goods went to the EU market", Dodon wrote. According to the presented data, the volume of sweet cherries exported to Russia registered a seven-fold growth against the equivalent period of the last year - growing to 2373 tons from 344. The volume of exported strawberry grew six-fold - to 1354 tons from 222. Exports of sweet cherries to Belarus accounted for 980 tons, which is 3.4-fold more than over the previous reporting period (284 tons). For the first time Moldovan producers supplied sour cherries to Russia and Belarus (195 and 1150 tons, respectively). At the same time, according to the president, only 5 tons of sour cherries were exported to the EU (to Romania) and 36 tons of sweet cherries (to Latvia), that is less than 1% of the total volume of exports.

"These results are received due to efforts, put by the Moldovan President for rehabilitating trade relations with Russia. The receiving of the status of observer in the EAES will give a new impulse to the trend of export growth. Moldova may become a bridge between the East and the West. We need good relations with all the countries, we are interested both in access to new markets and in returning to traditional markets. This is one more proof to the fact that the results of the made efforts and our politics do not keep us waiting", Dodon wrote.

Moldova received the status of observer in the EAES on May 14. The Parliament and the Government criticized this decision.

Infotag's dossier: Exports of Moldovan sweet cherries and strawberries significantly exceeded the last-year rates. According to the ANSA, the exported volume of new crop of sweet cherries accounted for 3.45 thousand tons, while strawberries - 1.35 thousand tons. Last year, the exports were 630 tons of sweet cherry and 223 tons of strawberry. Also, this year 5 tons of sour cherries and 19 tons of raspberries (last year these were not exported). Mostly, the produce was supplied to Russia, Belarus, Romania and the Baltic countries.