ECONOMY DEVELOPS IN A "POSITIVE TREND" - ECONOMY MINISTER

The Moldovan economy has been developing in a "positive trend" for the second consecutive year, maintains Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Chiril Gaburici.

Presenting the Ministry's 2018 Annual Report on Monday, he said that the country's GDP grew 4% over 8 months.

Enumerating the implemented projects, the minister pointed at the "Good Roads for Moldova" program, within which 1.6 thousand km roads were built in rural areas in 2018.

"For the next year we plan to extend this program, which will allow repairing and building 2.6 thousand km of roads", the minister said.

He pointed at a positive role and contribution to the Moldovan economic development of Free Economic Zones, where 3.2 thousand jobs were opened in 2018, while the total number of jobs approaches 14 thousand.

"In 2019, FEZ residents invested US$45 million, while the total volume of investments in free economic zones reached US$391 million", the minister said.

Talking about the increased rates of exports and imports, Gaburici concluded that currently, already 70% of the total volume of the Moldovan exports accounts for EU countries, which was due to the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA).

"Currently, we are holding negotiations with China in order that in the nearest time to sign a free trade agreement, which will allow raising the dynamic of mutual trade turnover", the minister said, pointing at the active cooperation with UAE, the US, Belarus in 2018.

The minister also regarded the project of building Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline as highly important for the Moldovan energy security, as its commissioning will provide to Moldova an alternative in natural gas imports.

"We will finally manage to have an alternative and conduct negotiations at a price, that would be more profitable for the population and the industrial sector", the minister said.

Another priority for the economy in 2018 was the project of building the multifunctional complex Chisinau Arena, which will be commissioned on October 14, 2019, said Gaburici.