Chisinau hosts international forum of Central European states CEFTA Week 2015

Chisinau, 24 November /MOLDPRES/ - The international forum of Central European states CEFTA Week 2015, organised by the Economics Ministry, takes place in Chisinau. "The CEFTA agreement is an important instrument in Moldova's effort of regional and European economic integration," Deputy Prime Minister, acting Economics Minister Stephane Bride said today.  

The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) offers Moldova "an excellent framework for implementing nondiscriminatory, transparent, predictable policies, to improve the flow of investments, goods and services in this region," the official noted.

Stephane Bride stressed that, in the context of Moldova holding the CEFTA chairmanship in 2015, five priority fields are promoted, such as facilitating trade, liberalisation of commerce with services, investments' attraction, capacity and transparency building. 

"Among the most important achievements of 2015, we may highlight the setting up of the committee on trade facilitation and full liberalisation of commerce with farming products within CEFTA, cancellation of the visa regime with almost all the CEFTA members and continuing talks on liberalisation of the trade with services," the economics minister said. Bride added that the joint efforts in these sectors would contribute to increasing the commercial flows with goods and services in the region, a freer movement of people, as well as to a more efficient promotion of investments in the region.

The CEFTA agreement is a foundation stone for Moldova in developing economic cooperation ties, investments' attraction, fighting unemployment, Head of the EU Delegation in Moldova Pirkka Tapiola said.

For his part, U.S. Ambassador to Moldova James D. Pettit  said the USA appreciated and backed Moldova's European way. Yet, to continue this course, the authorities should prove pressing ahead with reforms, the diplomat specified.    

Under the agenda, negotiations on the liberalisation of the commerce with services within CEFTA are to be held on 24-25 November, the CEFTA committee on trade facilitation will convene at a meeting on 25 November, and a CEFTA ministerial conference will take place on 26 November.  

Moldova holds the CEFTA chairmanship in 2015. The agreement provides for cancellation of all customs duties on import and export, quantitative restrictions and other duties, in order to help develop the bilateral and multilateral trade and economic relations between the member states.

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor M. Jantovan)