Moldovan PM, French foreign minister approach prospects of Moldovan-French cooperation

Chisinau, 3 September /MOLDPRES/- Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița had a meeting today with Jean Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, on an official visit to Chisinau, the government's communication and protocol department has reported.

Gavrilița thanked the French side for the strong signal of support offered to our country after the visit of President Maia Sandu to Paris in February. The Prime Minister welcomed the openness of the French authorities to support the rapprochement of the Republic of Moldova with the European Union, and to increase European assistance to Moldova. The Prime Minister expressed his certainty that France's takeover of the EU Council Presidency on 1 January 2022 will make a positive contribution to our cooperation agenda.

"We have a strong mandate and we are ready to start the reforms so necessary to change Moldova, clean up the corruption system, build strong institutions and make sure that we offer our citizens a better life. We also rely on the support and backing of our partners in France for the implementation of these reforms ", Gavrilița said.

The two officials discussed the intergovernmental agreements to be signed shortly, including the Convention between the two countries' executives to avoid double taxation and prevent tax evasion on income taxes. The negotiation of the Intergovernmental Framework Agreement in the field of social security, which would ensure the protection of the social rights of Moldovan citizens who have worked or are working in France and vice versa, was also discussed.

It should be noted that the French Republic provides continuous support in carrying out sectoral reforms in the Republic of Moldova through the French Development Agency. Starting with March 2021, several FDA missions took place in Moldova, during which the priority sectors were identified. A new mission will soon take place which, together with the Chisinau government, will identify potential cooperation and funding projects for the Agency.

In this context, Prime Minister Gavrilița listed several priority areas for development where FDA expertise is needed: reforestation and irrigation; modernization of water supply and sewerage systems; electrical interconnections and energy efficiency in buildings.

Gavrilița invited French companies to benefit from the attractive conditions, including fiscal ones, offered by the Free Economic Zones, Industrial Parks and IT Parks of Moldova.

Photo: Government