Moldovan PM, British envoy approach economic ties

Chisinau, 14 September /MOLDPRES/- Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet today had a meeting with UK Ambassador to Moldova Philip Batson. The two officials discussed the reforms and Moldovan-British relations, in the context of implementing the Moldova-EU Association Agreement, the government's communication and media relations department has reported.

Ambassador Batson noted that the signing of the agreement in 2014 had been a key-moment in the Moldova-EU relation, and voiced hope that the reforms the government wanted to enforce would allow the agreement's benefits be felt by Moldovans. In particular, the British official underlined that the transformations in justice and public administration sector would bring real changes, and the United Kingdom would continue to provide consultancy and support to Moldova to carry them out, including via the Good Governance multi-annual programme. The latter will provide expertise, training and assistance to the governments of five states from the Eastern Partnership: Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Good Governance fund will earmark 20 million GBP in 2015-2016, in order to back the states to implement political and economic reforms. "British expertise can play an important role in implementing reforms needed for stability in the region and the Great Britain is willing to join efforts of international partners to this end," he said.

Valeriu Strelet highlighted the importance of the United Kingdom's support for the democratic, economic and social transformations in Moldova. Also, the prime minister reiterated Moldova's interest in strengthening the economic ties with the UK and spoke out for a more active involvement of British investors in Moldova's economy.

A number of 212 enterprises with British capital are operating in Moldova, and investments in authorised share capital are amounting to about 465 million lei.

(Editor L. Alcaza)