MOLDOVA SHOULD NOT DEVELOP ON SINGLE-VECTOR MODEL IGNORING RUSSIA – SOCIALIST MP

The Moldova-Russia Economic Forum, which opened in Chisinau on Thursday, continued its work today.

Speaking at the forum discussion platform, MP of the Party of Socialists Vladimir Golovatiuc stated that given the quite open structure of the Moldovan economy, the external trade relations play a role of special importance in the Moldovan economy and it is necessary to use all the possible instruments for their improvement.

“However, since 2009 cardinal changes of political economic priorities are happening towards one of the most important partners – Russia. In 2014, after the signing of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement, the authorities stroke Russia off the list of republic’s strategic partners. The result of such artificial changes was a sharp decline in the Russia’s share in the Moldovan exports with over 30% in 2013 to the today’s 11%. Despite this, the role of Russia for the Moldovan economy does not fall”, he said.

According to him, the single-vector model policy of external trade and further ignoring of Russia did not work.

“This cannot help affecting the republic’s economy – the GDP growth is achieved not due to the production, but as a result of raising the volume of services, as well as taxes, the country’s external economic positions are worsening, the trade balance deficit is growing, as well as the republic’s external debt”, the MP said.

He stressed that the politics should not go in front of the economy.

“Due to president Igor Dodon, Moldova manages to rehabilitate trade relations with Russia, raise the exports of Moldovan goods. However, the growth of exports is just the first step, the time has come to start thinking on developing production cooperation. Now, the relations between Russia and the EU are facing not the best times, while Moldova has the opportunity to use the free trade agreements, signed with the West and the East in its interests: the Russian company invests, the Moldovan company produces and exports to European countries, as a result all the three sides win”, the MP said.

President of the National Congress of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Moldova, Ex-Premier Vasile Tarlev said that given the current situation in Ukraine, many Russian business people are forced to leave the Ukrainian market and seek a new one, and Moldova may become such a market.

“Our republic may also become a bridge between the European and the Eurasian unions, through which the Russian goods will come to the EU due to creating of joint Moldova-Russia companies”, Tarlev said.