Moldovan, Russian officials approach economic relations

Chisinau, 16 March /MOLDPRES/- Prime Minister Pavel Filip had a meeting with a delegation from Astrakhan region, Russia, on 15 March. It was led by Vice-Governor, Chairman of the Government of Astrakhan region Konstantin Markelov, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.

The premier pointed out Moldova’s interest in boosting the economic cooperation with Russia, being a strategic partner for the country.

In the context, the sides tackled the development of the bilateral relations, including by organizing a meeting of the Moldovan-Russian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation. The premier informed about the steps taken by the government to improve the business environment, such as: reducing the number of control institutions, approving legal framework meant to guarantee predictability and transparency of control, decreasing the number of licenses and permits for economic agents.

The premier invited the business people from Astrakhan region to invest in Moldova and to develop projects favorable for both sides. “If someone wants to invest in Moldova, we will do our best to back him”, Filip said.

For his part, Markelov expressed interest in developing cooperation between his region and Moldova. In this context, he pointed out the opportunity to sign a cooperation agreement between the sides. Filip backed the idea, saying that Moldova and Astrahan have a cooperation potential due to be used and implemented in concrete projects. Among the areas of interest were mentioned: agriculture, industry, collaboration within the free economic zones, tourism.

Currently, 900 enterprises with Russian capital are registered in Moldova, of which over 370 are operating. The total amount of Russian investments in the country economy stands at 4.5 billion dollars.