Moldovan premier confirms no memorandum to be signed upon completion of International Monetary Fund's mission

Chisinau, 24 September /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet confirmed that after the end of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, which is on a two-week visit to Chisinau, a new Memorandum would not be signed. The mission's mandate was changed after the resignation of the National Bank leadership, said the prime minister after the meeting with the IMF delegation, led by Ivanna Vladkova-Hollar.

"Till 21 September, according to information that I personally have as prime minister and the discussions with the IMF office in Chisinau, the mission had a mandate to discuss, negotiate and sign an Agreement-Memorandum with Moldova. Following the application for resignation by National Bank Governor Dorin Dragutanu this mandate has been withdrawn. Subsequently the mission will work in the near future in two steps: identifying the government’s and National Bank’s policies in vital areas of the country and agreeing on policy directions on the short and medium term and step two - the prospect of signing an Agreement-Memorandum", Valeriu Strelet said.

According to the official, the IMF chief negotiator for Moldova said that a new financing memorandum could be signed only after the confirmation by the parliament of the new leadership of the National Bank. "The government was and is ready to negotiate and sign the Agreement-Memorandum with the IMF and we have taken more concrete steps to this end", Valeriu Strelet assured.

The prime minister rejected media speculation according to which the authorities would not want an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. "It is my personal belief, as well as the belief of the Alliance for European Integration government, that cooperation with the IMF is crucial to give a new impetus to the development of the country in the context of accumulation of more factors that threaten regional security and functionality of the state", the premier said.

"We will find solutions to have an agreement with the IMF in the near future. We are already taking steps in this direction. We will also address this topic during our visit to New York", Strelet said.

Referring to the loan amounting to 150 million euros, offered by Romania, Valeriu Strelet said that the matter of this loan was discussed with the Romanian authorities immediately after the resignation of the previous government. The loan in question "has nothing to do with the IMF mission, which is on a visit to Chisinau and its respective decision. I have heard various speculations according to which we had prepared in advance in case of a failure in the negotiations with the IMF. That is entirely false", Valeriu Strelet said.

The IMF team of experts, led by Ivanna Vladkova-Hollar, is on a working visit to Chisinau on 22 September - 6 October 2015.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor L. Alcaza)