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Moldova’s president to address Russian parliament

On November 21, he is expected to tell the lawmakers about his plans to expand cooperation with Russia

CHISINAU, November 20. /TASS/. Moldovan President Igor Dodon will address Russia’s State Duma (lower house of parliament) on Wednesday to brief lawmakers on plans to expand cooperation between the two countries, which were mapped out during his negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"For the first time during independence, Moldova’s president will address State Duma members. I will tell lawmakers about plans to expand cooperation between our countries, which received a fresh impetus during my official visit to Moscow in October," Dodon told TASS shortly before leaving for Moscow.

He described his talks with Putin as a breakthrough. "Some agreements, which Moldova had been looking forward to, were reached. They concern the expansion of exports of Moldovan products, amnesty for hundreds of thousands of Moldovan migrants working in Russia, cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian sphere and efforts to tackle pressing regional issues, primarily the Transnistrian settlement. In particular, I asked the Russian president to explore the possibility of funding the infrastructure projects, which connect the left and rights banks of the Dniester," Dodon said.

According to Moldova’s president, these plans will be discussed at his meeting with State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and at the meetings that will be held by members of Moldova’s Party of Socialists with their counterparts from the United Russia and A Just Russia political parties with whom cooperation agreements have been signed.

"The agreements that were reached with the Russian president will top the agenda of the talks with Russian Presidential Envoy for Relations with Moldova Dmitry Kozak in Moscow and other Russian leaders," Dodon pointed out. They will also be discussed during the meeting of the Moldovan-Russian Economic Council scheduled to be held in Moscow, he added.