Moldovan deputy premier attends informal ministerial meeting in trade sector in Brussels

Chisinau, 20 September /MOLDPRES/ - Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Iurie Leanca participates in the first informal ministerial meeting in the field of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area in Brussels today. The event is held in the context of the priorities agreed upon in the joint declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit from 24 November 2017, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.    

The meeting is meant to contribute to the achievement of EU’s goal to strengthen the cooperation in the trade sector between the three countries signatory to the Association Agreement with EU. The delegations of Georgia and Ukraine were led by Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine V. Kubiv and, respectively, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia G. Kobulia.  

The participants in the meeting, chaired by European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström, tackled diverse aspects on the implementation of the deep and comprehensive free trade areas (DCFTA), as well as possibilities to boost the cooperation ties with EU. Deputy Prime Minister Iurie Leanca referred to basic challenges in the process of implementing DCFTA, as well as Moldova’s visions concerning the increase in cooperation with EU, in order to achieve the goal of progressive economic integration on EU’s domestic market, provided for in the Association Agreement.      

Also, participants tackled aspects on facilitating the trade and customs procedures, improving the system of public procurement, providing new opportunities to small- and medium-sized enterprises, as well as the effort to promote products on the European market.

The agenda of the visit to Brussels also included a bilateral meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Iurie Leanca and European Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, during which the two officials approached the bilateral relations, political dialogue and possibilities to foster the commercial and economic ties.