CHISINAU, August 22. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Vice-Premier Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday that Russia would build partnership relations with Moldova.

“We want to normalize our relations with Moldova and will favour the development of business ties and partnership,” Rogozin said after talks with Moldovan Prime Minister Yuri Lianka held in Chisinau. He also met Moldovan Vice-Premier and Minister of Economy Adrian Candu. Rogozin and Candu are the co-chairmen of the Russian-Moldovan inter-governmental commission for trade and economic cooperation.

According to Rogozin, Russia’s ban on some of Moldova’s food exports imposed after Moldova had concluded an association agreement with the European Union was the key item on the agenda.

“Moldova signed the agreement with the European Union without consultations with its main trading partners. The interests of the Republic of Transdniestria were also ignored despite the existence of a number of agreements which oblige (Moldova) to coordinate such decisions,” Rogozin said, adding there was a threat that European products would be re-exported via the territory of Moldova, whose goods in the CIS territory are free from duties. Rogozin denied that Russian trade embargo on Moldovan goods would be followed by sanctions against Moldovans working in Russia.

“Russia has 700,000 Moldovan immigrants. We will never do anything to offend these people. We are going to support them,” the Russian vice-premier stressed.

The talks started in Chisinau will continue in Moscow. A Moldovan government delegation led by Candu will travel to Moscow on September 25-26.

“We are going to discuss a package of issues, including trade, energy cooperation and the Dniester settlement,” Rogozin added.

On September 26, Moldovan Vice-Premier Adrian Candu will attend a meeting of the CIS Economic Council in Moscow where he is going to have a number of bilateral meetings.

For his part, Moldovan Prime Minister Yuir Lianka told Rogozin at a meeting on Friday that Moldova would not join anti-Russian sanctions.

“I have always said that the absence of a dialogue is worse than any discussion. The meeting which we had today is the best proof of that. We had a constructive and intensive discussion. We touched upon many problems and outlined how to solve them,” Lianka told Itar-Tass.

He added that the Moldovan government was not even considering a possibility of joining the anti-Russian sanctions.

“I am responsible for the cabinet’s work and we believe in the need to continue dialogue and cooperation with Russia,” Lianka said.

The premier described Friday’s exchange of views as extremely useful.

“We wanted to understand the logic of Russia’s decisions and why it had banned the imports of Moldovan products by using tariff and non-tariff barriers. Each side expressed its stance. The dialogue will continue,” Lianka said, adding experts of Russian and Moldovan sanitary services and Agriculture Ministries would pay reciprocal visits to discuss problems in mutual trade.