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Transdiestria ready to discuss trade agreement with EU separately from Moldova

TIRASPOL, December 10, 23:05 /ITAR-TASS/. The authorities of the unrecognized Republic of Transdniestria are ready to negotiate a separate agreement on trade and economic cooperation with the European Union, since the free trade zone agreement initialed by Moldova takes no account of Tiraspol’s interests, the Transdniestrian foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The incomplete information about the negotiating with the European Union that has been made available to Tiraspol is not enough to make conclusions about risks for Transdiestria’s economy, about the fettering terms of a new trade regime,” the ministry said. “In this situation, the Transdniestrian foreign ministry is ready to discuss issues of trade and economic cooperation with the European Union in a bilateral format.” No representatives from Transdiestria were invited to the talks between the European Union and Moldova, no information about decisions taken at these talks was made available to Tiraspol.

Earlier, Transdiestrian leader Yevgeny Shevchuk warned that if Tiraspol’s interests were ignored in the trade agreement with the European Union, “consequences of this situation, both in the negotiating process and in bilateral relations, would be placed on Chisinau.”

Moldova’s plans to remove mutual barriers in trade with the European Union have come under criticism not only in Tiraspol but in Chisinau too. Experts are worried that Moldovan manufacturers would not stand competition with stronger European companies. The Moldovan government however reassures that protective taxes would be lifted gradually within a span of ten years.

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Venezuelan foreign ministry, Russian embassy hold joint conference in Caracas

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Russian Embassy to Austria denied participation in ceremony at Nazi concentration camp

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Russian children’s commissioner holds first face-to-face talks with Ukrainian counterparts

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European Parliament urges EU states to regard Russian presidential vote as illegitimate

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Swiss conference on Ukraine undermines European security — Russian diplomat

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