Free Trade Agreement with EU success for Moldova, says economics minister

Chisinau, 9 July /MOLDPRES/ - The Free Trade Agreement with the European Union was "the most ambitious economic agreement" ever signed by Moldova, said Deputy Economy Minister Stephane Bride today in a press conference at which he presented the results obtained within one year from signing the document.

The minister said that the signing represented "a victory for the country, which paid off". The share of the total Moldovan exports to the EU amounted to 64.6 per cent in January-May 2015, against 53.3 per cent in the period preceding the signing. The export of Moldovan goods to the European market registered a slight increase in terms of value. At the same time, the list of delivered goods expanded, said Stephane Bride.

The official added that imports from the EU were reduced by 23 per cent in five months against the same period of the previous year. "Thus, the concerns of the agreement’s opponents did not come true, the market was not flooded with goods from Europe," said the economics minister.

Moldova took over 60 per cent of the international and European standards, thus aligning its economy to the rigours of the market with over 500,000 customers. According to Stephan Bride, 80 per cent of the actions recommended by development partners to improve the business environment had been carried out.

"Furthermore, we intend to carry out the National Action Plan on the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement with the EU in the updated version, which will be approved by the government in the near future, align the national legislation to the acquis communautaire in 27 areas, turn into account the trade regimes, open the EU market for animal products, which will give us an increase in exports by 15 per cent in the future, "concluded Bride.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor A. Raileanu)