Moldova hopes to start talks between the Eurasian Unio and the EU to create a large free trade zone, said President of Moldova Igor Dodon, speaking at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in an expanded format in Yerevan.

According to him, Moldova has an interesting experience that may be of interest to the EEU member states. 

“For five years, Moldova has been implementing a free trade deal with the EU, and this happens simultaneously with the existing free trade deal with the CIS countries, the Balkan countries and Turkey. We can share this difficult but valuable experience. We hope that sooner or later talks will begin between the EEU and the EU on the creation of a large free trade zone between these large international organizations,” he said.

According to him, “we support the idea of ​​concluding such an agreement, which would be a major breakthrough in promoting the concept of creating a united Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok. Moldova is a European state that is geographically and geopolitically at the center of these processes.”

According to him, Moldova intends to explore the possibility of participating in the Eurasian Development Bank. 

“We understand the economic benefits that Moldova can get as a result of joining the activities of the Eurasian Development Bank. This is not only the introduction of new and strategically important investment projects in our country, but also the implementation of joint projects with the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. I believe that a detailed study of the Bank’s activities and meetings with its leadership will allow us to identify Moldova’s priority investment projects and promote the idea of ​​the republic’s participation in the Eurasian Development Bank,” he said, adding that Moldova also plans to resolve the issue of Moldova’s permanent representative in the Eurasian Economic commission. “Moldova’s presence of its permanent Representative will allow it to maintain close contacts with the Commission, to quickly receive information related to the development of trade and economic cooperation, customs, technical, sanitary and other regulation. Moreover, Moldova will be able to establish a more constructive dialogue with the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union in order to expand trade, investment, and technological cooperation,” he noted. “I want to note that, on the whole, there is a positive trend in the Moldovan trade with the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. Last year, trade increased by 10%, in January-July of the current year it grew by 6%. Moldova has something to offer the markets of the countries of the Eurasian Union, and we are working on this issue.”