Moldovan deputy PM sees EU integration as profound internal reform for Moldova

Chisinau, 29 March /MOLDPRES/-Deputy Prime Minister, Economics Minister Octavian Calmic held a meeting with the head of Moldova-France friendship group, Frederic Reiss, in Paris today. Calmic said the EU integration process was a profound internal reform for Moldova, the Economics Ministry’s press service has reported.

The officials exchanged views on Moldova’s political and economic situation, actions the Moldovan government talks to develop the business environment and enhance the investment climate, tackling ways to turn to good account cooperation opportunities with French business associations in various sectors and start joint investment projects.

To this effect, the Moldovan deputy prime minister emphasized that the main goal of the government was to ensure political economic and social stability in 2016. “We are currently trying to restore internal and external confidence. We believe the implementation of Moldova-EU Association Agreement is the best way to do it. Therefore, we are determined to fulfill all the commitments to our foreign partners and be consistent in the implementation of all the reforms,” Calmic noted.

For his part, Reiss said French and also Brussels authorities were closely monitoring Moldova’s evolution, highlighting that political stability and implementation of justice and business reforms are important, as they speed up bilateral cooperation.

Attending the meeting was also the deputy chairman of the Committee on European Affairs of the French National Assembly, Gerome Lambert. He voiced interest in the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), inclusively in the breakaway Transnistrian region. “Our authorities pay high attention to everything going on near EU, as Moldova is a key-country in the development of the Eastern Partnership,” Lambert said.

To this effect, Calmic noted that DCFTA was being implemented all over Moldova starting with 1 January 2016. He added that it was the most efficient platform to restore and enhance ties with the Transnistrian region.

“More than 70 per cent of Transnistria’s exports are directed on the Moldovan and EU markets. Thus, bilateral cooperation is unavoidable. During the latest EU-Moldova-Transnistrian region meeting we agreed that the so-called Transnistrian authorities would implement a string of reforms over the next three years to remove trade barriers. Therefore, they shall annul import duties, gradually implement the VAT system, update the quality infrastructure system and boost up cooperation between Moldovan and Transnistrian experts,” the Moldovan deputy prime minister said.

Calmic added that Moldova’s role within the Eastern Partnership was to connect the West and the East along with the two customs unions, a concept recently unveiled during the Economic Forum in Moscow.

(Reporter A. Mardare, Editor M. Jantovan)