Moldovan, Hungarian officials approach bilateral cooperation

Chisinau, 13 September /MOLDPRES/- Prime Minister Pavel Filip today met Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto. The sides discussed the Moldovan-Hungarian relations development in different sectors and possibilities to expand them. The PM welcomed Peter Szijjarto’s visit, appreciating the upward trend in the development of the bilateral relations, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.

Filip thanked the Hungarian side for the constant support provided to Moldova’s European integration. He reiterated that the implementation of the Association Agreement was a basic priority of the government. Pavel Filip  noted that the country was negotiating a new Association Agenda and was to elaborate a new national plan on implementing the Association Agreement (2017-2019).

Among the main concerns of the government, the prime minister pointed out regaining the trust of citizens and development partners in the state institutions, ensuring financial stability, resuming the relations with foreign partners, consistent actions to improve the business environment, so that Moldova should become an attractive destination for investors. In this context, Filip invited Hungarian business people to actively participate in privatizing enterprises from Moldova, with a new stage to this end due to be launched next week. Also, the PM welcomed the initiative of organizing a Moldovan-Hungarian business forum in Chisinau in next November, which would facilitate setting direct ties between business people from the two states and initiating mutually advantageous economic and investment projects.

For his part, Peter Szijjarto congratulated the government for carrying out the actions seen in the Roadmap on priority reforms' agenda and reconfirmed Hungary’s willingness to further back Moldova in efforts of European integration.

In another context, the Hungarian official highlighted the importance of speeding up the trade relations between the two states. He pointed out the implementation of mutually advantageous projects in agriculture, border management, public order and emergency situations sectors. The Hungarian side expressed interest in financing investment projects in Moldova and willingness to facilitate bilateral trade exchanges.

Hungary is among the main partner countries of Moldova, with the bilateral commerce amounting to 73.6 million dollars in 2015.

(Editor A. Raileanu)